The Power That Has No Power

The Power That Has No Power / Rebeca Monzo
Rebeca Monzo, Translator: Unstated

Yesterday afternoon, quite by accident, I bumped into one of the
activists with the CDR (Committee for the Defense of the Revolution) on
my block. I have known her for many years, since 1971, when I moved to
this apartment where I currently live. Although we have never been
friends, since we have nothing in common, at one point, when her
children were little and she was facing a major crisis, I helped her in
any way I could. That was our first and most significant interaction.

I mention this to make it clear that we have never been friendly or
intimate enough for her to agree to be the bearer of a stern message
from a mutual friend, whom I love and respect because of her kind heart
and in spite her extremely uninhibited and even crude language and our
diametrically opposed political views. The two of us manage to overlook
this, but what I cannot accept is for her to send me threatening
messages insisting I attend a meeting being held later today to choose
candidates for the well-known People's Power elections, which we all
know are of no consequence.

After she gave me the message, I told the messenger to tell her that she
already talked to me yesterday, and I am very sorry, but I will not
attend, and she knows quite well that I have not done so for many
years.That I only went to the initial meetings, thinking something would
get done, but as that was not the case, I decided not to waste my time.

That I do not believe in my country's elections and, since attendance is
voluntary and voting is a right and not a duty, I am abiding by my
choice and my right.

That when a delegate is elected with enough power and resources to see
to it that trash gets picked up daily, that mass transit improves, that
streets are swept and cleaned, the potholes and leaks are fixed, street
lighting is adequate, and who represents us and defends our rights, then
I will not only attend, I will be the first in line. But as long as we
still have this Power that has no power, she can count me out.

September 14 2012

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