the plume


On a trip to Vienna, many years ago, I had the opportunity to see live and in full color, in the Museum of Ethnology of that city, the magnificent and much talked about “Moctezuma’s Plume”. It is really an impressive piece, more than a meter high, dazzling for its color and design with its 222 quetzal feathers, gold tiles and precious stones.

That it belonged to Moctezuma is another story, because for good or good there is no proof of it. Many scholars of this pre-Hispanic object say that the headdress I am talking about was one of the very beautiful and varied outfits that the son of Axayácatl or any other high-ranking chief had. You go to know.

In most of the world’s museums there are pieces of great artistic and cultural value that are the heritage of other countries. The MET in New York, the Louvre in Paris, the British Museum and many more contain art and objects from all over the world. Either way.

But I am talking today about the famous plume and the problem that has been generated since 2020 when the Mexican government once again requested its return to Mexico, since I believe that given the number of major difficulties that afflict us today, the time-president- government-non-first lady that has been dedicated to the subject is from every point of view inappropriate and almost scandalous.

For most Mexicans, at the moment, it is totally inconsequential whether the plume returns or not. We have other issues to seriously worry about: the inflation that does not subside and that increases day by day in Mexico and in the world makes going to the supermarket or the market become a delicate budget calculation event to be able to feed the family. The lack of well-paid employment, the informality of our economy (60% of the population belongs to it), the incessant increase in oil prices (given that we import more than we export) are all bad news for us, which affect seriously the national economy. With all of the above, the most worrying thing is that our country becomes more violent every day and the massacres in Michoacán or Puebla, the femicides (10 women murdered daily) or the brutality on a soccer field make us look with concern not only at the future but the present of our nation.

We don’t want any more smoke screens or distractions, we don’t want any more raffles for no airplanes, or “pauses” in the relationship with friendly and important countries for their relationship, not only commercial, but also cultural. We want the rulers to assume their responsibility and do the work for which they were elected.

If impunity and corruption were fought with the energy and determination with which feminists have been fought in this six-year term, no more with that… another rooster crowed for us.

I believe that we Mexicans do not want to be divided, nor do we want, for the most part, to be opponents of anyone. In this world, humans and especially rulers should have as a premise to give the best of themselves for the good of the community. Maybe I’m naive, but my plume doesn’t show, yes.

Theresa Vale

psychologist

guest column

Psychologist, driver, writer, commentator for Grupo Formula.



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