The following story may shock and offend you, my eight or nine readers, as it did me, but I assure you that it is true - it happened just a week or two ago.
This year, like every year at this time when church bells ring louder than ever and good intentions are dragged out of the dark closet of apathy and indifference, the kids' school organizes a clothing drive designed to collect a generous amount of clothing of all kinds to be distributed through an asilo, which has direct contact with the poor, since Merida is so well off these days (look at all the BMW's - there weren't that many before!!! Things are definitely looking up!!! - actual quote) that our contact with the poor is somewhat limited. Denial as a solution?
A group of mothers with nothing better to do than to snoop through other people's cast-off clothing, in the guise of helping to clasificar the different articles according to sex, age, etc etc, remains on the school premises to receive the bags and boxes of clothing and sort them into different piles according to the previously mentioned criteria. For this labor they receive the gratitude of the school and the homes where the clothing is taken, and in their hearts of hearts they feel a little closer to God in that they have done something Good for their fellow man. Not too fellow, though, we wouldn't want to have to actually spend any time with them. But donating a sweater or an old pair of shoes makes ones' heart grow three sizes, kind of like the Grinch on that fateful day when he stood on the tip of Mt. Crumpet.
As it turns out, the mothers were enthusiastically sorting when suddenly, there was an exclamation from one: "Oye esta ropa esta BUENA! Me la voy a llevar" and she set the item aside to take HOME! Let this sink in for a moment, my dear reader.
As the story goes, as told by one of the mothers present, not one of the other ladies, several of whom are members of the popular Buen Pastor catechism group and of similar ilk, said anything to stop this particular person from taking clothing that had been donated by a well-intentioned household for the poor, for her own personal use. Even the lady telling the story repeated over and over, as if it were a legitimate defense "But it really was GOOD clothing, honest!"
Does that make it right to steal the clothing? The fact that is was GOOD? Where does it say in the Manual of Proper Charity that donated clothing for the less-fortunate must be in less-than-good condition? Oh yes, wait, there it is... Section III, paragraph 45 states that "all clothing donated to the poor must be of an inferior nature; any articles of clothing not conforming to the former may be subject to confiscation by the donators. The poor and less fortunate who receive donations shall not dress better than the persons making the donation."
Is this what the families that donated the clothing had in mind? How does this person, whose last name I can't divulge, who now has in her possession articles of clothing donated by her childs classmates' families, look at herself in the mirror every day?
Is it any wonder that many Mexicans are completely cynical? How can anyone in good faith ever donate anything to any cause, knowing that the donation is subject to theft and misappropriation?
Certainly not this citizen.
