TILTING AT WINDMILLS: WHEN GOLD IS NOT ENOUGH

Friday, November 7, 2008

WHEN GOLD IS NOT ENOUGH

I have spoken before in these blogs about my great admiration for Juan José Cortes. He is the father of little Mari Luz Cortes who was taken from near her home in January and her body was found floating in the cold waters of the river estuary at Huelva several weeks later in March. The family’s neighbour, convicted paedophile Santiago Del Valle, has admitted kidnapping her but disputes the manner of her death.

Juan José Cortes, of gypsy stock, has acted with strength of mind, serenity and moderation since the death of the five-year old to try to bring profound change to the legal system in Spain. Over 2.5 million people have signed a petition started by Juan José and his family along with their many supporters to demand tougher sentences for paedophiles, to require that the whereabouts of paedophiles are notified to parents and the authorities as well as ensuring that those convicted of child murders are never released. The Spanish Parliament will debate this measure in the coming months.

Many awards have been showered on this man and more will be in the future. The latest is the ‘Medalla de Oro’ of his native province, Huelva. He has accepted the award with grace and stated that it is in recognition of his campaign to ensure that no family has to suffer again the pain that his has endured.

A gold medal it may be, but let us make no mistake here, it is worthless when compared with the loss of his little one, Mari Luz.

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TILTING AT WINDMILLS

Sancho Panza is much less learned but a good deal saner than his master.

"At this point they came in sight of thirty or forty windmills that are on that plain.

"Fortune," said Don Quixote to his squire, as soon as he had seen them, "is arranging matters for us better than we could have hoped. Look there, friend Sancho Panza, where thirty or more monstrous giants rise up, all of whom I mean to engage in battle and slay, and with whose spoils we shall begin to make our fortunes. For this is righteous warfare, and it is God's good service to sweep so evil a breed from off the face of the earth."

"What giants?" said Sancho Panza.

"Those you see there," answered his master, "with the long arms, and some have them nearly two leagues long."

"Look, your worship,'' said Sancho. "What we see there are not giants but windmills, and what seem to be their arms are the vanes that turned by the wind make the millstone go."

"It is easy to see," replied Don Quixote, "that you are not used to this business of adventures. Those are giants, and if you are afraid, away with you out of here and betake yourself to prayer, while I engage them in fierce and unequal combat."”