There’s a remarkable piece of journalism by Rich Wright titled, The Mask of Red Death.
It’s remarkable at once for two quick reasons: First, El Paso journalism doesn’t rise to many heights (see 4 Borders Pundit), and, second few El Paso journalists can write well (see 4 Borders Pundit). Wright, in less than 2000 words, describes (creates?) a competent metaphor for Mexico’s current troubles. His story takes place in a bar in Juarez. The metaphor incorporates economy, culture, crime, corruption and, a 4 Borders Pundit fave, booze. 4BP never met a bar in the 20-something countries he visited that he couldn’t find metaphors in.
This metaphor, however, is different. It’s different because it’s better than 4BP has written about.
To get it out the way, any crime-novel devotee, or wannabe gonzo journalist will be taken in by his opening sentence: “Thursday night I went to Juarez .” It’s a simple sentence, but unloads, like a shotgun blast, loads of cultural connotations for Southwest Border-aware locals living here in current times. And, much unlike a double-aught blast to the stomach, Wright’s story just gets better from the opening sentence.
What transpires during Wright’s visit is nothing short of a Catholic School-rhetoric miracle come to life. He finds two world-class musicians in a working-class bar. And then he records them. And then he puts the recording up on YouTube.
You can see it, and you should see it, here.
The video, I think, portrays Mexico better than all the gawking press, gringo gossip, and foreigner-manufactured realities could: Mexico remains a sophisticated, complex, corrupt, life-loving and optimistic land that outsiders would do better to know than to avoid. Mexico is one of the few places where concert-hall musicians would deign to play for beer-drunk locals.
To hell with 15-second sound bites from MSM. Watch the whole thing and see both a story and the future of reporting.
And after all, when is the last time two world-class musicians turned up in a shithole ghetto bar in Detroit or Houston?
