Synthesis and Contradicting Image

The columnist, Alejandro Escalona, believes the society often fails to take into consideration minorities, like Hispanics.  Because of this, Escalona focuses on events that specifically have to do with Latino communities in order to raise awareness.

Chilean miners, from left, Mario Sepulveda, Jorge Gallegillos, Carlos Barrios, and Jose Henriquez, take part in a press preview for the "Against All Odds" exhibition commemorating the rescue of 33 Chilean miners, Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2011, at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington.
(Credit: AP Photo)

This shows that one year later, the Chilean miners have not been forgotten but instead are still commemorated.   Society still remembers to honor these men for their bravery.

Column #4: "Chilean miners: Life’s tough above"

The inspiring Chilean miners who were saved last year on Oct.13 and watched on international television seem to be totally forgotten now.  Instead, many of the miners are currently unemployed and/or suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.  Yet their amazing challenge to survive in the mines last year and now their new challenge to survive normal life can still inspire today.

The writer, Alejandro Escalona, makes it very clear that it's a shame that the public has forgotten about the Chilean miners.  Even though he criticizes his audience for it, at the same time he's also trying to urge us to remember and honor them again.  He emphasizes on how the event unified people around the world by saying "as you no doubt recall" and "I watched the rescue, as I'm sure you did."  He then appeals to sympathy by mentioning specific individuals, including Edison Pena who is now going through therapy for psychological trauma and alcohol and drug addiction. Escalona ends with an abrupt sentence, "Just like the rest of us," in order to stress how the miners are struggling to live just like the audience are and in them we can find inspiration.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/escalona/8428239-452/chilean-miners-lifes-tough-above.html

Column #3: "Trashing neighborhood murals is affront to Latino community"

The column describes how recently two murals in predominately Mexican neighborhoods have been defaced, one depicting famous Latino leaders and the other Jeff Abbey Maldonado Jr., an inspiring hip-hop artist.  These crimes are seen as insults to the Chicago Latino community and its culture and traditions. This crime of vandalism has been condemned for its violence and disrespect, and murals have been or are to be restored.

Escalona fervently condemns this vandalism as it disrespects the Latino culture.  Escalona states that, "Defacing a public mural is a crime and an offense to all residents of metropolitan Chicago who treasure freedom of expression and value the art of the diverse communities."  He reaches out to all residents of Chicago, appealing to their logic that freedom of expression is a right that should be protected.  He makes it obvious that this defacing is offensive and should be prevented from occurring again.  It's a violation of the Latino community's rights.  Escalona urges the residents to all protect these rights saying, "A mural is a public work of art that belongs to all of us, and we all need to protect it."

http://www.suntimes.com/news/escalona/8175000-452/trashing-neighborhood-murals-is-affront-to-latino-community.html

Column #2: "Yo-Yo Ma makes music for all"

This column discusses Yo-Yo Ma along with three other professional performers performing at Telpochcalli Elementary in Chicago as part of the "Arts Strike" initiative.  The goal of this initiative is to share the arts, whether it's dance, music, or poetry, with student, educators, and communities. The author, Alejandro Escalona, supports these initiatives and encourages more performances at schools and communities in order to expose the arts to younger audiences.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/escalona/8048011-452/yo-yo-ma-makes-music-for-all.html

Column #1: "Pretrial skirmishes give Chicago closer look at drug cartels"

Jesus Vicente Zambada-Niebl, a Mexican drug cartel, has been arrested and faces federal charges for trafficking tons of narcotics to Chicago and other cities. Zambada-Niebl is a narco junior, a son of a drugpin who has taken over his father's business.  The narco juniors are known to be extremely wealthy and live lavishly, their stylish appearances sharply contrasting with the traditional scary, scarred face we imagine drug cartels to have. It's going to be difficult to deal with the spoiled Zambada-Niebl, who is very influential yet also targeted as well.  The Mexican cartels run an international business and it's going to be a lot of work for the feds to go up against them.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/escalona/7925888-452/pretrial-skirmishes-give-chicago-closer-look-at-drug-cartels.html