The Beauty of Mexico Captivates Everyone, Especially The Men

(Jose Maria Velasco, The Valley of Mexico, 1875)

As i looked at this painting my mind wandered to one of my favorite old western songs; El Paso, by Marty Robbins. And I realized that Mexico and all that it offers makes people do some crazy things. 

Now let me explain, it all makes sense in my head I just hope that i can get it down on the page... As I looked at this painting and thought of this song I could picture the cowboy up on the hill from the painter's perspective looking down on the town and longing to be there. He wants to be with Felina (Mexico). He is drawn to the town and the girl, just like Velasco was drawn to that same place to paint the same thing more than once. We may thing it strange of Velasco to paint the same thing twice, but we would also think it stupidity to ride into a town when you know that you are going to be killed. Some things just don't let us escape. 

As the cowboy was riding down to his death he told himself that to die would be better than never be with the girl that he loves. That's what beautiful scenes of Mexico do to all of us! We want to see these places! We live here in the United States, but we desire to go down south to Mexico to see something cool. We as humans are captivated by certain things it makes us do crazy things. Maybe Velasco was crazy for painting the Valley of Mexico more than once, maybe the cowboy was crazy for riding to his Mexican lover, and maybe we are crazy for spending crazy amounts of money to go to Mexico, but that is what Mexico does. 

Mexico is beautiful and captivating, it draws all of us to it. 

Mexico makes us men do some crazy things. 

Hero of War

(Felix Parra, Episodes of the Conquest, 1877) 

Heroes, adventurers, warriors, conquerors, and murderers all have one thing in common: they think that they are doing something good that will bring about good.  The only thing that separates them is their point of view. 

Some of them may be doing good things in their eyes, but in the eyes of someone else they are bringing about something disastrous. They are tearing apart a way of life that has persisted for a long time. 

As I studied this painting I could not help but to think about our own armed forces who are overseas maintaining peace and order with death and destruction. I thought of the song titled, Hero of War, by Rise Against.

Please watch the video, it really helps show what I am 

trying to  get across. 

I kicked in the door, I yelled my commandsThe children they cried but I got my manWe took him away, a bag over his faceFrom his family and his friends
They took off his clothes, they pissed in his handsI told them to stop but then I joined inWe beat him with guns and batonsNot just once but again and again

I can't help but imagine that some of our soldiers don't want to kill people, they don't want to bring people under our rule, but they do it because that is what they are commanded to do. Just like our men killing and fighting, I am sure that some of the conquistadors didn't want to kill the indians. They came to love them and their way of life, they wanted to help them but could not because they were commanded to do something else (kill them). Just like the video above, these conquerors most definitely were psychologically messed up because of what they went through. 

Conquistadors and modern soldiers alike who are seen as "Heroes of War" don't want that praise, they just want to forget what they had to do to become that victor their people see. The medals and treasure they gained are not worth the sadness that accompanies them. When they started out their point of view was that they were doing something good, but as time persisted, their point of view changed and their original visions of grandeur became nothing but dross. They are sad to see that they have "bought a minutes mirth to wail a week, or sold eternity to gain a toy."(William Shakespeare)

   

By The Death Of A Few

"Fortieth chapter, where it is said how the Tlatelolca and Tenochca and their ruler submitted to the Spaniards, and what happened when they were among them... Then they took a cannon, put it in a boat, and took it to the home of Coyohuehuetzin. When they got there... then again they killed people; many died there. But the Mexica just fled, and the war came to an end." (Victors and Vanquished, 195)

As I read "The Siege and Fall of Tenochititlan" I was impressed as I came across this selection that as soon as some leaders gave themselves up, they were killed and the war ended. As in all battles the end usually comes when someone important dies, this battle was no different.

This may be a stretch, but my thoughts then drifted to one of my favorite movies: Gladiator. In this movie the emperor, Commodus, is trying to keep Rome and all his power to himself while at the same time, the senate is trying to give the power back to the people. Commodus had previously done some pretty shady things in trying to get rid of Maximus, the appointed ruler of Rome, who would have given the people the power that was rightfully theirs to have. The following was the commentary between the dying father of Commodus and his chosen replacement, Maximus:

Marcus Aurelius: There is one more duty that I ask of you before you go home.
Maximus: What would you have me do Caesar?
Marcus Aurelius: I want you to become the protector of Rome after I die. I will empower you to one end alone, to give power back to the people of Rome and end the corruption that has crippled it. 
Marcus Aurelius: Do you accept this great honor that I have offered you?
Maximus: With all my heart, no.
Marcus Aurelius: Maximus, that is why it must be you.

Maximus becomes a slave, then a gladiator, then makes his way to Rome to fight in the Coliseum. He fights and fights until he is stabbed and then challenged by Commodus. He kills Commodus and also dies. As the death of these two men comes to pass, the fight of Commodus (the Mexica) and Roman people (the Spaniards) also dies. 

Like i said, it may be a little bit of a stretch, but that is what i thought of. As the Spaniards took over, the region advanced; in the movie when Rome as a people got their power back they were at peace. All it took was the death of a few key individuals. These two situations are extremely similar, and very similar to many other events in the history of this world. The Mexica were trying to hold on to the past, their traditions, and their power in Central America just like Commodus and his power , but like Maximus the Spaniards were victorious and they were able to rest. 

This last video gives an overview of the movie so you too can try to see the parallel that I derived from it. Just a little warning there is minimal blood, but some blood nonetheless. 

And a little fun fact to finish up: In the movie Maximus is nicknamed, The Spaniard

week 2

"The Spanish used this time to install Catholic images in the temples and prohibit the practice of human sacrifice. They also discovered treasure in the palaces and seized it. Their delight and greed caught the notice of the Mexica." Victors and Vanquished: Tenochtitlan, 128

"God wills it!" has been a rallying cry for many purposes. From prophets calling people to repentance to Jim Jones and the Jonestown suicide, to the Crusaders,  people of influence have used the name of God to attain the results that they long for. Hernan Cortez was no different than many of the leaders during the religious crusades termed the Holy Wars in the Middle East as shown in the above video. 

“I put no stock in religion. By the word religion I have seen the lunacy of fanatics of every denomination be called the will of God. I've seen too much religion in the eyes of too many murderers. Holiness is in right action, and courage on behalf of those who cannot defend themselves, and goodness. What God desires is here [the head] and here [the heart] and what you decide to do every day will make you a good man...or not.”

― Hospitaller, The Kingdom Of Heaven

Hernan came to Mexico seeking riches and possessions while using the facade of missionary work as an excuse to kill, pillage, rape, and murder. Cortez sought to control lands and peoples for his 'patria' and used whatever means necessary to bring about his purposes. The Crusaders sought to bring the gospel to everyone and control Jerusalem at any cost, just like Cortez in the Americas. 

Cortez desired to change the indian's way of life, culture, and religion. He gave no respect to the customs, rituals, or beliefs of the Mexica. Cortez was a fanatic of his own success and dominion. As I read this I remembered my mission and how many of the young missionaries would completely disrespect a lot of the religious views of the many Catholic Mexicans that we taught. They would do anything they could just to baptize them. They would say things to investigators similar to how Cortez spoke to Montezuma after he was shown the idols and gods, 

"these idols of yours are not gods, but evil things that are called devils... we may divide off a space where we can set up an image of Our Lady". 

I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the true church of God, but i also believe that we cannot be true ambassadors of our Savior Jesus Christ if we are rude and offend those who would accept the gospel if we would simply teach by the spirit the truths of the gospel and the error of their beliefs. 

I believe that the Crusaders, Jim Jones, some inconsiderate missionaries, and Cortez attained their desires and imposed their ideas in an incorrect fashion. They did what they did for selfish and radical reasons and defiled a pure purpose with their own agenda.