Spanish views from a small town

Last night, a group of young people were drinking in town, glasses and bottles spread out around them. The police, who were doing a check to make sure bars and cafés were closing at one in the morning, noticed them. The two patrolmen went up to the young people and, after ordering them to stop drinking and go home, started asking for identification. One of them got all hussy, argued with the police, refused to do what they asked, smashed a glass on the ground, and set off. When the officers finally caught up to him, he wouldn't calm down, but tried to hit them. That was when twenty-five of the guy's friends showed up to help him.  The officers called for backup, but they were forced to use their batons and pepper sprays to defend themselves. The guy who originally stood up to them was cuffed and sent to the local jail cell, while two others were charged with offences under the Law of Citizen Protection. The others are being identified in other ways, but they'll be found.  O...

Again. It's happened again. And it will happen again, and again. Another man shot in the assumption that he was going to get a gun, or a knife, or anything to use as a weapon. Why did the police enter into that assumption? Because he was Black.  George Floyd's killing created a torment across the nation last May. But that killing and the following protests brought no changes, merely entrenchment from an openly racist federal government. This week, in Kenosha, Wisconsin, another Black man was killed at the hands of a police officer, an officer that swore to uphold the law and protect the citizens of his city.  It seems that the police were with Jacob Blake for about three minutes before following him to his car and shooting at him seven times, hitting him four. The man was leaning into his car as he was shot. In his car were his three sons. Later testimonies said there was also a knife under the front seat.  So, there was a knife under the seat. So, Jacob Blake apparently ...

Happy Easter! Happy Passover! Happy Sunday! At least today it dawned bright, sunny, and warm, even though the forecast called for showers. It's lovely outside and the orange blossoms smell like heaven should smell. The sun does make one's mood brighter. So does news that contagions are going down. Bit by bit, but at least, down. Hopefully, by the beginning of next month we can be allowed to go out a little more than just to the pharmacy, the supermarket, or work.  My husband is going back to work tomorrow, we think. Because this is also affecting the economy, some small companies might not open tomorrow. There might be supply problems, at least at the beginning of the week. We'll see what happens.  I am becoming an expert in re-tuning our television. If not every day, every other day, when someone turns it on, it acts as if it's just been taken out of the box. I might ask a repairman to check it out after this is over. Or I might practice ax swinging. There ar...

Yesterday was the decisive day. It was the day Catalunya held a referendum on independence. The referendum had been declared null and illegal by the central government in Madrid, led by the conservative heirs of Franco and his stultifying regime. They declared it illegal because in the Constitution of 1978 Spain is said to be "indissoluble," therefore, no region can declare independence legally. As if a declaration of independence is ever legal and welcome by the ruling government of any nation. Scotland was allowed to hold a referendum because it was clear to Parliament in London that the majority of voters would vote against it. In Catalunya earlier this year, it was clear that most residents were fine with being Spanish. If the referendum had been allowed to go on with little fanfare, the NO vote would have won, this would have gone away, and cool heads prevailed. But, the ruling PP (Partido Popular), with the inimitable Mariano Rajoy at its head as the Prime Minister ...