Classified: Land Claims What is Rightfully Hers



Instead of going to a movie, riding my car without no particular destination or perhaps reading a good book, I found myself doing something strangely awkward on a Saturday evening. I was glued to the classifieds. I wasn’t looking for used cars or apartments for rent. No, I was “job hunting”. The scenario turns a little bit more interesting when I turn to the section called “ventas”. This section was full of ads such as “Want to make millions by reading emails ….”, and the worst of all “Good morning or good evening, how ever the day is when you read this. I am a______ major looking for a ______ position. Please call me”. Unbelievable but true. People in extreme desperation graveling for jobs through news paper ads.

This last ad may be proof of what many Puerto Ricans say, “there are no jobs in Puerto Rico”. This statement is also followed by the wave of Puerto Rican professionals fleeing to the United States looking for jobs with higher salaries, high rates of unemployed professionals in the island, high rates of people living off welfare and other aids subsidized by the federal government and many other grievances or excuses. Why excuses? First, this ad is proof that many citizens living in this island want things on silver platters. The questions keeps on repeating itself… Why? Before this question is answered other issues must be discussed.

When applying for jobs many applicants go for the easy shifts, high pays and “seniority” benefits. It seems that they don’t realize that everyone has to start from the bottom. Many candidates that are going for different positions lack projection. They don’t show the proper motivation, leadership or are willing to develop multitasking skills. They have the notation that just because they have a diploma with a title the job is theirs automatically. More importantly they are missing a key attitude: perseverance. These candidates give up quickly because they want everything with just a finger snap away. For most of them it is so much easier to cross the other end of the ocean and get a job the “easy way”. But… What if going the to the other side wasn’t possible?... That questions still remains

Anyhow, even many of our insular minded citizens create obstacles, there is light in the horizon. It is not an utopia to think of the possibility of getting a job in your own country even though the economy is on a thread. The truth is that the whole world is experimenting hardships. You but only you set the limits. With the right attitude and “tools”, you can build your own future in the land that claims you… Puerto Rico.


(*** this essay is trying to employ the Rogerian model)

Who’s to Blame?



What is innocence? Perhaps the question should be rephrased. What is happening to innocence? Where has it gone? These questions are frequently asked by those who are extremely burdened with the outrageous outburst of teen pregnancies, the increase of STD’s on teens and children’s sexual abuse. Much is to be said about the cold blooded attacks on one of fundamental building blocks of society, children. But the core of the matter is: Who’s to blame? The educational system, society or parents?

The never ending battle of the “hot potato” starts as it follows… The educational system or as many people say “the schools”, have not instituted a solid sexual education program. Others argue, society is a sexual billboard, flashing a wide variety of sexual propaganda into the eyes of its inhabitants and when there is no argument left, the whole weight falls on bad parenting and a never ending world of family issues. The bottom line is, are they individually responsible? Or do they share equal responsibility? These three elements will be briefly analyzed shortly.

First, it is important to point out that sexual education has been unanimously voted as taboo through out the years. Parting from this statement, we can conclude that the task of imparting competent sexual education in the school system is far from becoming a reality. The history of sexual education in public schools shows that both extreme conservative and liberal movements have not reached an agreement in what is supposed to be a well structured “sex-ed “curriculum. Therefore, during the 60’s the education of sex was limited to biological elements, only to high school seniors. Then, the sexual revolution of the 70’s led to an amalgam of concepts that got out of hand in the 80’s. It is during this decade that the HIV virus bursts causing hysteria and therefore a massive campaign promoting safe sex. Did it work? Did the use of condoms and other preservatives help control STD’s and unwanted pregnancies. The statistics clearly show that due to the lack of maturity teenagers are least likely to use the proper methods in order to avoid unwanted pregnancies and STD’s. Furthermore the statistics for the year 2003 show that the amount of sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies tripled and the age lowered.

These facts clearly show the failure of Sex education not only from the state but also from the parent’s side. Keeping information away or giving execive information before hand has proven to fail. The key to a successful sex education depends on a solid formation from infancy avoiding taboos and being straight forward. The base is provided by the family and the state will reinforce it. Of course, this is no easy task for some parents but planting the seed of trust and friendship at a very early age will lead to excellent results. Therefore, as these children grow they won’t become targets of sexual predators, they will be able to take wise decisions and eventually become stable adults.

We are still carrying the bad decisions that were taken in past decades. Right now is the time to set aside the hedonistic lifestyle promoted by the mass media industry that portrays man and women as sexual machines or objects. The facts don’t lie. Just take a good look around … girls carrying babies fulfilling a role that still doesn’t belong to them. Read the papers, listen to the news… your child may be next.

(*** trying to employ the toumlin model)