My father loved cars. He owned over 300 different cars in his life. He was a racer in Miami back in the 60's, and drove a Datsun on the track. I didn't share the same love of autos he did as a kid (growing up in Miami and the Dolphins being the big game in town saw to that), but today's circumstances have changed my perspective entirely. My father's memory seems to be everywhere, It feels like he's still here!
I'm still a football fan, but the NFL has become a propaganda tool the last few years, unfortunately. While my football following was active after my father passed on (God bless his soul), I had a friend introduce me to INDYCAR in 2000. That same year on Memorial Day was an INDY 500 party. "Whoa! Who is this rookie? Juan Pablo Montoya? from Bogotá, Colombia? leads 167 of 200 laps? Wins the INDY 500?" Memories, reminiscing about my father, who had passed on just 7 months earlier, took hold. I followed "JPM" as he's affectionately known in the States, all the way through his INDYCAR career, then thru Formula 1 in Europe, and now in NASCAR, though I had become a light NASCAR fan as far back as 2000.
My Dad loved his time with me. Today, I do the same with my 3 year old son, a big, heathy, handsome-looking, smart boy. When I say big, I mean BIG! John Wayne kinda big! My Dad would've kidnapped his grandson if he was living today! A big, tough guy with Grandpa's looks in the family? The uncles will be green with envy. Oh, and his twin sister? A total Diva! Both have Grandpa's eyes too! What a braggart my Dad must be in the clouds of heaven!
The World's current circumstances reminded me of many stories my Dad told me of. "La epoca de la violencia" in Colombia left many civilians fighting for their lives, police forces fighting military forces. As America enters its "epoca" of apparent tyranny, I see this great article by Daniel Hannan, MEP from Great Britain, about Colombia:
In a few weeks’ time, Álvaro Uribe will return to his hacienda, as Cincinnatus to his plough. The most popular leader in the Western world will defy the clamour of his people, who had wanted, by a large majority, to amend the constitution so as to allow him to serve a third term. Uribe has completed the task he set himself. Colombia is more or less at peace. The narco-terrorists are broken, the paramilitaries of Left and Right in prison, the writ of the legitimate government in force across almost the whole of the national territory. Colombia has come through the economic crisis better than most, and her external foes have been repulsed.
Now ask yourself this. Can you see Hugo Chávez respecting the constitution and standing down? (It was reported today that the comandante has somehow contrived to create an energy shortage – in Venezuela!) Can you envisage Fidel Castro relinquishing power voluntarily? Can you be entirely certain that Evo Morales and Rafael Correa will cheerfully step aside when their time comes? Why is it, then, that MEPs have chosen to turn their criticisms against a leader who has respected the spirit of his constitution, strengthened liberal democracy in his country and arguably achieved more than any South American leader since Simón Bolívar?
Long-standing readers might recall that I met Uribe in Bogotá two years ago (before going on to meet a surprisingly agreeable former terrorist who is now in the democratic Leftist opposition). I was immensely impressed by the diminutive president, but cautioned him against accepting the additional term which his countrymen were pressing on him. When a leader thinks he is bigger than his national constitution, I argued, autocracy often follows. Uribe has shown himself to be a better man, not just than the neighbouring caudillos, but than the hypocrites on the European Left who somehow never get around to criticising socialist strongmen.
¡Viva Colombia!
My Dad is still with me, I'm sure of it!
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