"Los ojos que no ven, el corazón que no siente"

I don't believe it. Where do you work? A newspaper? How about you print a story on, since you're in the UK, how Churchill ordered gassing of the Kurds and Afghans back in the "good old days" to keep them in line. Try to get that information from your "open" government. You people print what you are told, and if you don't then you are fired, like a whole boatload of journalists in the US were in September. Prove me wrong and print something true - until then don't get all insulted because someone called the media evil.

Yeah, it's pretty sad many stigmatize a whole group (the Basque) based on the actions of a very small minority (ETA members). In my many travels to Spain, I've been surprised that many Spaniards are unable to differentiate between Basque and terrorist. This is as racist as a US citizen assuming all Muslims and Arabs are suicide bombers.

I agree this message board is filled with mostly reasoned posters, free of immature passion against the good people of Pais Vasco.

I think that Spain should use the media as much as possible to fight eta. They should fight eta on many media One of the most effective is exposing the Basque educational front. Young children are being taught to HATE Spain and are given an anti-Spain view of their history. I remember vividly riding on a bus and hearing little children on a summer field trip singing some Basque nationalist songs led by their teachers.(it reminds me of the praying anti-American islamic children) The primary economic/social crisis Spain faces is eta. The media is a perfect vehicle for exposing this coward terrorist organization!

Thanks, Toddy!

And yeah, Calibasco, you're right. This topic has run its course and I think we've all discovered that we're never all gonna agree about it. But hey, that's what makes us all individuals, right?

Bombs = bad.

Singing a song that celebrates one's culture does not itself promote terrorism. Assuming cultural pride breeds hate is flawed logic, and simplifies a complex subject. There are many more complex psychological (and deviant) factors that lead particular people to support terrorist acts.

This is case in point how Basque culture, and its people, is irrationally associated with terrorism.

JJP is exactly correct! I have studied for 3 months in Bilbao, lived with a Basque family, and been around MANY basque schools, and children. Yes, I am aware that there are always exceptions, just as their are anti-america groups in america, their are anti Spain groups in the Basque country, or any region of spain for that matter. However, children are taught to be proud of their basque heritage and celebrate their unique culture and way of life. They learn how this culture fits into the greater culture of Spain. The large majority of the people of Euskadi, even those who believe in Basque independence (which is a lot fewer than one might think), value their spanish roots and dont "hate", or teach their children to "hate" Spain . This is a very good example of the stereotypes of which I was speaking . Toddy, the "front" that you speak of his is a MAJOR minority of educational systems in Euskadi.

The media, I support using the media to try to fight the terrorism of ETA. These problems have to be exposed, as this exposure results in action and social change. However,the problems come with bias reporting. Stereotypes arise when the media portrays the basque country as a groups of unsensitive, violent, and rough group of ETA members. When in contrast, in general they are a group of open, friendly, proud, and welcoming group of people. From my experience, many people of Euskadi are ashamed, and get very upset about the subject of ETA).
Kelly

Thank you for the most rational post on the matter, that reflects the actual situation and is not "hyped" or stereotyped.

Teaching of Basque or Catalán language and culture is a fundamental right of human beings - to speak what they want and live as they choose. The government is going to tell me what to speak? What culture to follow? What to eat? I don't think so.

toddy writes: CaliBasco writes: I had to hit refresh three times to make sure that what was on the screen was really on the screen. I think I saw a similar post on another website: www.xenophobesandparanoia.you

Please for the love of all that is good, go back and edit that post. We'll all try to forget you put it there. Do you speak euskera fluently? Have you attended an ikastola? Have you ever sung "America the Beautiful" in another country or at least hummed a few bars...how about waxing patriotic at fireworks displays...zealot!!

toddy...I respect you as a human being and fellow Spanophile, but I respectfully disagree with your analysis of a busload of kids.

I don't want to make an issue of this CaliBasco, but you are again trying to impose your partial views about the Basque Country, not allowing people to chat about what they want. Why are you trying to bypass MM and being a moderator in every single issue you esteem unacceptable?

As for accusing toddy of xenophobic and paranoic (no matter how you want to put it as a joke), you don't have to have a master in Harvard to talk about things. But if that makes you happier: I have some members of my close family living in the Basque Country and yes, the basque nationalistic government has been fomenting the hate to anything spaniard in more explicit or implicit ways (because they have all the competences in educational matters).

I had basques in my high school who had fledged from the Basque Country because they couldn't stand that (real) xenophobic inmersion.

Fernando