THE UGLY

Argentina has had a convoluted political history of military, dictatorships, nationalism, wars, peace, and it is all in the history books. What is going on now is still being written and it is an ugly chapter in this county's history. Between 1976 and 1983 Argentina was ruled by a military dictatorship. This group systematically kidnapped babies from mothers who were put in concentration camps until their children we born, and then the mothers were killed. Some were taken on planes and pushed out the doors while still alive. Some of the children were killed. Argentina is STILL unearthing the remains of men and women who were killed by their own country. A Freeway in the middle of town was being revamped, and under the dirt was found bones...lots of bones. Recent bones. Small torture cells, small children, and evidence of a brief but terrifying time in their history. These "disappeared" children, who were born in captivity, were given to families in the military. They were robed of every human right known to man. Under the freeway they are still digging and unearthing bones. With DNA procedures, these "disappeared" are being identified. The white signs in the dirt surrounding the "dirt child" have been identified children, who were killed. The statue of children reaching up represents the call and struggle for help. Help to be remembered and help to be identified, and never to be forgotten.
For a long time, this sad and ugly time in Argentina's history was ignored. A group of strong courages women called "Abuelos de Plaza de Mayo" have established themselves as a non governmental organization to FIND and identify their children(who were killed) and their grandchildren(who were given away). They have visited every court, office, daycare, orphanage and anything they can to find their "disappeared". Every Thursday they walk in the Plaza as a silent protest and to keep the issue alive so they have hope to find another 500 now grown children who may be alive and do not know their own history. I have read much about the "Abuelos de Plaza de Mayo", but seeing the unearthing under the freeway while cars and busses are whizzing by, was VERY sobering. There is always someone in attendance to show respect for the forgotten, and stand by pictures of the ones who have been identified. I only wish we would still be here on Thursday to pay respect to the courages women who have been fighting since 1977 to find their families.