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I would like to thank your newspaper and Fernando Del Valle for writing the story about the Narciso Martinez Cultural Arts Center’s national recognition by the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center in San Antonio and placing the story on the front page of the Valley Morning Star.
My hat goes off to Rogelio Nuñez, Ramon De Leon, County Commissioner David Garza and so many others who worked so hard to realize the effort of maintaining conjunto music and the arts in our community, first in San Benito and now in Los Fresnos.
I feel very proud of what Cristina Balli, Martha McClain and I did for the Cultural Arts Center and the Freddy Fender, Texas Conjunto Music Hall of Fame and the San Benito historical museums when we worked for the city of San Benito. So many people did so much work for this effort, a great deal was accomplished and we had great plans for the future of our small town of San Benito.
Unfortunately, when we left many of those plans went by the wayside. One could dwell on the negative such as San Benito City government pushing the Narciso Martinez Cultural Arts Center out of San Benito, but let’s not.
At the same time, I want to thank the city of Los Fresnos for taking the Cultural Arts Center into their community — our loss, their gain. I truly understand the great thing Los Fresnos did, but I think now that San Benito city government has changed, it is time to strongly ask the Cultural Arts Center to return to its original home in San Benito. We as a community can restore the effort of advancing the concept of the Narciso Martinez Cultural Arts Center united with the other museums and our new city government leading the way.
¡Facilidades Rogelio!
Victor G. Trevino
San Benito
Russia critiqued
Could we be witnessing the death knell of the fascist/oligarchy rule of Russia?
Ever since the end of the USSR in 1991 there was hope that totalitarian rule would end in Russia and that a true democracy would be born out of the ashes of the Soviet rule. But it did not, it was merely replaced by a different style of authoritarian rule, by a strongman, Vladimir Putin and his oligarchs/’henchmen.
Putin has never relinquished power since he took over after 1991. The people go through the motions of elections but these really are not true elections; they have been rigged — Putin always wins!
The Russian people after hundreds of years of monarchs followed by Josef Stalin and the Soviets have never abandoned totalitarian rule! They are used to it; this is all they know and have known for centuries.
Putin is a king without a crown but with all his castles and luxuries. His oligarchs are also like lords and nobles without the royal titles but with all the riches.
Well, we are not like the Russians. Hope to God that it never happens. Let’s hope our unique brand of governance with our Constitution and three separate but equal branches with our checks and balances survive these current divisive and contentious conditions in our country. It has served us well for more than 200 years but we are at a watershed moment in 2024. Will it survive?
Please vote. Vote like the future of our democracy is at stake because it is! Vote to show that we are a country governed by the rule of law, not by the whims and shenanigans of any one madman.
God save our democratic republic.
Jesse Dorsett
Hemet, Calif.
LETTERS — Limit letters to 300 words; all letters are subject to editing. Mail: P.O. Box 3267, McAllen, TX78502-3267; Email: [email protected]
