The question goes beyond age, touching on the way some early scholars treated philology in their era. Matinees often arise from choices like using or avoiding certain phrases, since authorities such as the RAE permit probabilistic or conjectural phrasing and since the Pan-Hispanic Dictionary of Doubt recognizes the same in this sense. In educated usage, prepositions are acceptable: “His daughter Marianita must be twenty years old.”, “My mother does not keep silent that I should be bloodless,” and similar examples appear in literature from Vargas Llosa, Espido Freire, and García Márquez. Beyond the snakes and the verbal utterances, age often leads one to accept the idea that the world has shifted for us—good versus bad, or, if preferred, less bad versus better. The era that follows seems defined by a stark choice: one path stays the same worst, another promises improvement. When political language is translated, one might replace Western democracies with regimes sharing few democratic ideals.
The deadliest axiom is that the problem does not lie only with totalitarian governments, powerful oligarchs, globalizers driven by greed, or theocratic rulers. The danger is amplified by political parties, social media actors, minority groups, media outlets, self-styled platforms, and activist NGOs who sometimes push toward a grim destiny if society does not consciously avert it. The claim is that salvation may be unattainable. The price could include freedom, democracy, human rights, human dignity, fair-wage jobs, family life, access to education for children, religious freedom, freedom of expression, the right to disagree, the obligation to render truthful information, and the right to independent journalism.
Regarding women’s rights, the discussion describes a world where women face discrimination, restricted education, enforced concealment, arranged marriages, and violence. This week’s news from Tarrasa involved two Pakistani women returning to Pakistan and facing harm from relatives when seeking divorce after forced marriages to cousins. Protests from progressive voices have often faced pushback shaped by local attitudes. In Spain, discussions around a so-called “rape culture” have sparked debate, with officials weighing how to respond to sexual violence and its broader social implications. The question remains: how should public figures respond when incidents highlight gender-based violence and the systemic challenges that persist? If an immigrant is implicated in a crime, responses should be measured and fair rather than ethnicized claims about entire groups.
There were recent government actions in which a mother convicted of harming a child received a pardon, prompting debate about protective motives and gendered perceptions in the justice system. The case involved custody arrangements and questions about the best interests of the child, as observers weighed the balance between parental rights and safety. Advocates on one side celebrated amnesty as a victory against gender-based violence, while others questioned the consistency of such clemencies under different circumstances.
In another instance, a Chilean feminist group engaged in a provocative artistic act near religious sites in Cuenca, drawing attention to concerns about the church, law enforcement, and state resources as they relate to gender violence and colonial legacies. The project prompted media discussions and generated questions about the role of art in political critique, with commentators offering varied interpretations of the performers’ intentions and the powerful institutions being challenged. The broader question remains whether such performances illuminate real injustices or simply provoke controversy, and whether similar acts occur in other regions facing comparable issues.
The piece closes with a reflection on music and memory, acknowledging a composer whose life intersected with upheavals of the 20th century. The narrative notes the obstacles faced by artists who sought sanctuary from totalitarian oppression and how those historical pressures shaped their lives and work. The reminder is clear: the world contains many examples of struggle and resilience, and it invites readers to continue exploring these stories in search of deeper understanding and awareness of present-day challenges.