NotiPR :: That's All Folks! :: In Puerto Rico, It's Not Who You Know -- It's How High You Can Climb

It NEVER CEASES to amaze me just how far beyond the norm people in Puerto Rico have to go -- in all too many cases -- JUST TO ACHIEVE a successful conclusion or outcome of something they deem critical. An outcome many millions of people receive in many parts of the United States without even thinking twice about it. It's so automatic.

Now, in many areas, Puerto Rico has joined the rest of the United States in having a telephone installed, as one example, within a few days and not a few months or a few years -- in the most egregious cases. When I officially moved to Puerto Rico 20 years ago in September 1985 -- getting a home telephone was an adventure no one in their right mind would want to go on.

As late as 1991, I had to wait 7 - 9 weeks for BuenaVisión to drive one of their trucks a lousy 4 blocks to my apartment in Caguas Norte and install my cable television.

At about the same time, after 2 months of waiting, after what seemed to be a hundred phone calls and about 4 or 5 letters sent by U.S. mail -- you know, before e-mail -- Sears in Caguas FINALLY had the merchandise I ordered from their catalogue ready to pick up. You know, before the Internet -- catalogues were supposed to make shopping CONVENIENT.

What seemed to be VERY LONG waiting period for telephone service, cable TV and catalogue merchandise would have taken EVEN LONGER, unless someone got fed up and took the situation into their own hands.

Now, from this point on, I am NOT GOING TO MENTION who did any of this -- because I don't know if the statute of limitations has run out -- but SOMEONE VERY CREATIVE AND EQUALLY PISSED OFF parked his 1991 Mitsubishi Mirage in front of the only entrance and exit to BuenaVisión in Caguas and REFUSED to move it -- until the next available truck came to my house -- I mean someone's house. Within about 10 minutes or so, José Romero came outside, asked the person politely to move the car -- and the next truck out installed that person's cable TV.

Six years before that, someone just happened to very innocently mention to PRTC that if a certain person's telephone was not installed by the end of that particular week -- after having waited months -- they could expect a visit to their home and/or office from somebody with the last name Romanello from New York. It was installed within a day or so -- and from that day on -- legend has it -- that PRTC client very happily used his "family's" last name as his own second last name.

At Sears in Caguas, this same individual started handing a printed letter to people walking through the store with the history of the catalogue purchase that was taking a couple of months to receive -- but who also received in that time period, a few phone calls and at least 2 postcards TELLING HIM THE MERCHANDISE WAS IN -- only to find EACH TIME it was not yet available as promised. A gentleman named Jorge or maybe José Maymi invited this person into his office on the second floor -- next to the catalogue center, apologized, made sure the merchandise FINALLY arrived within a week, credited this person's Sears charge card with $50. and for as long as this person shopped in any Sears store anywhere in the Caribbean in person or by catalogue -- they could expect to enjoy a 10% discount on most merchandise not already discounted. All this person had to do was shake the GM's hand and agree to stop handing out papers to shoppers throughout the store. It probably isn't too difficult to figure out what this person decided to do. Anyway, the merchandise arrived within a week and all was forgiven.

This is only a sampling of what someone THOUGHT they had to do. A sampling of what someone WAS PUSHED into doing -- just to have a fair and equitable outcome of something ANYONE and EVERYONE automatically enjoys in ALL 50 United States and Washington D.C.

There were other equitable settlements that occurred from time-to-time with companies that didn't deliver on a promise -- actually too many to mention -- up until 1996 when this person divorced his wife, received full custody of his 18-month-old and 3-year-old children -- and moved out of Puerto Rico with the kids as part of the divorce and custody agreement.

At one point, this person was watched the second he entered Pueblo Xtra in Plaza Centro in Caguas -- because this guy would INSIST that not only HE received the $1. off his purchase if another cashier did not open up if and when 3 people or more were on line in the next checkout aisle -- AS ADVERTISED BY PUEBLO -- but INSISTED that as many as 20 - 25 people EACH TIME get the same $1. coupon the manager had to write out by hand and sign, as they were also on long lines and NO "CAJERAS" opening up the next available register.

Pueblo Xtra learned to hate this person and made sure WHENEVER he shopped -- he had a cashier available to quickly check out his purchases.

This guys friends and family in Puerto Rico had mixed opinions of this guy's METHODS for insuring he was TREATED FAIRLY -- NOT TREATED BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE -- JUST FAIRLY.

EVERYONE thought what this guy did WAS GREAT -- although some believed this guy did what he did because he was one of those INSISTENT AMERICANS.

They were ALL correct. It makes no difference who someone is as long as they DO NOT ACCEPT ANYTHING LESS THAN BEING TREATED FAIR AND EQUITABLY -- AND AS ADVERTISED.

© 2005 El Nuevo Día / Foto: Rafael Pichardo

This is a RIGHT we all have. And I cannot tell you just how BIG it was this week that William Milián Escobar climbed high a top a crane and DEMANDED he see his children for the first time in 2 years.

I had wanted to publish the entire, short, English-language synopsis, I mean article, of the outcome of the event from PuertoRicoWow.com -- but wouldn't you know it -- a major story that occurred and ended within the past 48 hours IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE ON THEIR WEBSITE -- There must be an excellent reason they won the prestigious Overseas Press Club's Best Internet News Coverage Award for four consecutive years -- I just wish I could figure out what that reason is.

Here are 2 links to the THOROUGH, PROFESSIONALLY WRITTEN ARTICLES, "A rendir cuentas tras ver a sus hijos," by Waldo D. Covas Quevedo of El Nuevo Día, and "Baja de la grúa el papá de la loquera," by Sara M. Justicia Doll of Primera Hora" . . .

If you cannot read Spanish, well TOO BAD -- you will NOT likely read about this in ANY English-language newspaper in the 50 United States or Washington, D.C. or see a TV movie made about this HEROIC ACT BY A FATHER on any U.S. English-language TV network -- because this EVENT occurred in SAN JUAN and NOT SAN DIEGO, SAN FRANCISCO, SAN ANTONIO OR ANY OTHER SAN -- and we all know that SAN JUAN, it's people and/or any other Puerto Rico city and it's people AND THEIR STORIES ARE NOT EVEN CONSIDERED as a viable property for ANY "CREATIVE" project -- ALTHOUGH, there probably isn't a place in the United States that has more colorful, decent, UNIQUE people doing, for the most part, UNIQUE AND HEROIC things ON A DAILY BASIS -- so what else is new!

Maybe today or tomorrow some fat, methed-up teenager with cystic acne will get stuck in a tree in Nebraska or Wyoming and FOX NEWS, CNN and MSNBC will break into their regular programming with a SPECIAL LIVE REPORT from the scene, with one of their own reporters already on scene from that local news bureau -- and cover the event FOR AS LONG AS IT TAKES for the kid to jump, fall or be rescued.

As far as William Milián Escobar is concerned, what he did was what was necessary. It was necessary for him and more importantly for his children. If his kids never see or hear from him again -- they will know for the rest of their lives that THEIR DAD REALLY LOVES THEM. That's 99.9% of being a successful parent -- never letting your kids think for even one moment that they are not loved.

I have no way of knowing what the real story is with this family. I have no real way of knowing if all of William Milián Escobar's claims are true or if his ex-wife's claims is true. All I know for sure is that William Milián Escobar didn't climb up the TV Tower at Univisión de Puerto Rico and claim he hadn't seen a soap opera actor or actress speaking Mexican-Spanish in the past 2 years BECAUSE HE, AS WELL AS EVERYONE ELSE IN PUERTO RICO HAVE.

Unless this guy is completely off his rocker, he is probably being truthful when he says his ex-wife and HER husband PREVENTED HIM from seeing his 2 kids for 2 years.

Without calling Vanessa Irizarry Román or her 2nd husband any names -- or judging them -- the PROBLEM of mothers preventing their kids from seeing their dad and/or badmouthing their dad so badly that the kids do not "ON THEIR OWN" want to see their dad is a PROBLEM that is NOT NEW.

It is however A PROBLEM THAT REALLY IS T H E PROBLEM with all too many children. If you think the dad suffers and they definitely do -- THE SUFFERING and DAMAGE to the children is irreversible. That's why IT SHOULD NEVER HAPPEN.

It was nice to see our First Lady and our Secretary of Family rush to the scene and try to get this guy down to the safe ground -- OH WAIT, we are talking about Puerto Rico, right?

Maybe William Milián Escobar AKA "Jorge Jetson," has solved the crime problem in Puerto Rico while fighting for the RIGHT to see his kids.

William Milián Escobar was probably in the SAFEST PLACE in Puerto Rico. It isn't likely he would have been hit and killed by a drunk driver. I don't think that bullets could have reached him -- stray or otherwise -- and I do not believe he would have been stabbed public-school-style or harmed on purpose in any other way.

Maybe Puerto Rico's SAFE future is living a few hundred feet in the air and a few hundred feet away from their closest neighbor -- having the First Lady, Secretary of Family and the other 50,000+ public servants check in on all of us to see that we are OK or if we need anything once in a while, like a quart of milk, Café Yaucono or Pan Pepín.

I genuinely think that Aníbal José Torres, First Lady Luisa Gándara and Secretary of Family Yolanda Zayas rushed to the scene to get a safe and quick resolution to this problem. I don't believe they acted heroically themselves for any other reason -- but to do something good.

What I don't think any of them realize though, is that this is probably JUST THE BEGINNING of what 20 - 30 years of SCREWING THE GOOD PEOPLE OF PUERTO RICO will produce in the weeks, months and years to come.

I cannot imagine what it must be like for Yolanda Zayas knowing about so many specific cases where people, especially kids, are seriously hurting -- and there is little if anything she or her department can do to immediately rectify each situation.

I wouldn't be able to sleep at night very well at all.

It's time to STOP WORRYING so much about a mother's rights and/or a father's rights and WORRY ABOUT THE CHILD'S RIGHTS.

If it's good for the child(ren) to see BOTH the mom and dad -- THEN THAT'S THE WAY IT SHOULD BE -- FROM DAY ONE.

If a mom is UNFIT -- the child(ren) should be exclusively with the dad. If a dad is UNFIT -- the child(ren) should be exclusively with the mom.

THE KIDS HAVE TO COME FIRST AND ANY SINGLE INDIVIDUAL WHO IS IN ANY WAY RESPONSIBLE FOR PREVENTING A CHILD FROM BEING WITH A PARENT -- SHOULD BE ARRESTED ON "CHILDHOOD STABILITY INTERFERENCE" and jailed until such a time as they are no longer a THREAT TO ANYONE'S WELL-BEING AND/OR STABILITY.

Check out the following information I found on the Internet back in 2000 and immediately published on what is now my prototype website CiberPapi.com. It EXPLAINS and DEMONSTRATES EXACTLY what men face all too many times. I didn't write any of this -- but I did live through and survive ALL of this AND MORE . . .

«IS YOUR EX-WIFE, EX-GIRLFRIEND, EX-MISTAKE BRAINWASHING YOUR CHILDREN AGAINST YOU OR ANOTHER FATHER YOU KNOW?

• Parental Alienation Syndrome?
• Ex-wife?
• Ex-mistake?
• Brainwashing?
• Programming? Children? Fathers? Sabotage? Bond?
• Relationship? Derogatory? Custody? Visitation?
• Divorce? Psychological Tactics? Disobey Court Orders?

DAD, is your ex-wife/ex-girlfriend/ex-mistake brainwashing your children against you? You could be the victim of Parental Alienation Syndrome. Does she actively sabotage your relationship with your children? Do any of the following tactics apply to your situation? If so, your children are being programmed against you!

• Does your ex-wife/ex-girlfriend/ex-mistake refuse to allow you to speak with your children on the telephone?

• Does she plan other activities for your children during YOUR visitation times?

• Does she attempt to make your children see someone else as their real father?

• Does she trash the mail and packages you send to your children?

• Does your ex-wife/ex-girlfriend/ex-mistake belittle you and use profanity against you in the presence of your children?

• Does she refuse to inform you regarding your children's activities such as, school events, baseball games and other activities that your children are involved in?

• Does your ex-wife/ex-girlfriend/ex-mistake speak in a derogatory manner about your new life without your children?

• Will she disobey future Court orders by refusing to allow you visitations with your children?

• Does she neglect to inform you about your children's medical, dental, psychological or other important issues?

• Does she enlist the help of others, such as family, strangers, etc., to help her brainwash your children against you?

• Does your ex-wife/ex-girlfriend/ex-mistake make incorrect important decisions regarding your children without ever consulting you?

• Has she attempted to change or has changed your child's last name?

• Has she refused you access to your child's school and/or medical records?

• Has she gone on vacation and left your children with people other than you?

• Has your ex-wife/ex-girlfriend/ex-mistake told your children that the clothes you bought for them are ugly or refused to allow them to wear the clothes?

• Does she threaten to punish your children if they ever phone, write, e-mail or in any way contact you?

• Does she blame you for your child's misbehavior?

Women who do this are sick, vindictive, self-centered, egotistical women who pretend to care for their children - but in reality (something they know nothing about) care only about themselves and protecting their "good" reputations, unaware that everyone including their own families find it easier to agree with them, than do what is right for the children - they care even less about these women's children than she does.

If any of the above are happening to you, then you are a father whose children are being brainwashed against you. TO DO NOTHING IS TOTALLY WRONG! We can and will help you. We know what you are going through. We will assist you to counteract and put a stop to this brainwashing so you can maintain your strong bond and relationship with your children»

It is VERY EASY to BRAINWASH a young teenager -- EVEN EASIER to accomplish this LIFE-ALTERING ABUSE on much younger kids.

IT'S A SHAMEFUL, EVIL ACT, THAT SHOULD ALSO BE A CRIME WHEREVER IT OCCURS THROUGHOUT PUERTO RICO, ALL 50 STATES AND EVERYWHERE ELSE.

You CANNOT place children FIRST, IF YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHERE THEY BELONG FIRST.

Imagine if Puerto Rico had the STRICTEST CHILD INITIATIVE IN THE WORLD and NOT ONE PERSON WOULD GO HOME after working all day at the DF -- UNTIL EVERY CHILD IN PUERTO RICO THAT PARTICULAR DAY WAS ACCOUNTED FOR, PROTECTED and LOVED BY AT LEAST ONE GOOD PARENT -- TWO GOOD PARENTS WOULD BE OPTIMUM.

Puerto Rico is ONE BIG MESS, BIGGER AND MESSIER THAN EVER, almost to the point where it may be easier and less expensive to just start over from the beginning -- BUT IN REAL LIFE, we all know this is not possible -- so get used to VERY NORMAL PEOPLE GETTING ABNORMALLY PISSED OFF -- TO SUCH A DEGREE -- THAT THEY TAKE MATTERS INTO THEIR OWN HANDS -- and as long as NOT ONE PERSON GETS HURT -- GOOD FOR THEM!

If this doesn't happen -- here's what WILL: A hundred years from now, Banco Muy Popular de Puerto Rico will recall the 100-year-anniversary of the 250th time a rumor regarding their ATH electronic teller machines were not up-and-running swept the country faster than an Electrolux -- AS WELL AS it's 114th annual cultural TV special, that instead of people like Ismael Miranda, Cheo Feliciano and Andy Montañez being showcased, people like William Milián Escobar will be prominently featured. This is what Puerto Rico's cultural identity is slowly, but surely becoming -- A COUNTRY SO COMPLETELY OUT OF CONTROL, VEERING TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT AND THEN LEFT AGAIN, DESTINED TO ULTIMATELY HIT A CEMENT POST OR TREE LIKE A CRACK-DRIVEN CAR -- and there's not a damn thing "la doctora Teresa Tió" or the "Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña" can do about it -- and yes 100 years from now Dr. Teresa Tío will still be in charge of this organization -- I believe she actually has no plans of EVER leaving.

Here's what I DO KNOW FOR SURE: Each non-violent HEROIC ACT should be PARDONED by the Governor and then have a school or park named after them for their HEROIC and NECESSARY COMMITMENT to themselves, their families and their country.

THIS ONE MAJOR, DESPERATE ACT BY WILLIAM MILIÁN ESCOBAR HAS OPENED THE EYES OF EVERYONE IN POWER AND WITH POWER IN PUERTO RICO -- AND JUST IN CASE THEIR EYES SLOWLY CLOSE AGAIN OVER THE NEXT WEEKS AND MONTHS -- IT HAS TO CONTINUE WHEN WARRANTED.

If you do not have friends in HIGH PLACES -- climb up to a HIGH PLACE of your own AND GET WHAT IS DESERVEDLY YOURS.

GOD FORBID Governor Aníbal Acevedo Vilá and his top Cabinet members open up their phone lines at least once a month and take calls from AVERAGE PEOPLE THROUGHOUT PUERTO RICO with a problem to discuss WITHOUT HAVING TO TAKE EXTREME MEASURES to simply BE HEARD.

If you CANNOT get satisfaction over a period of time DOING THINGS THE RIGHT WAY -- MOST DEFINITELY DO WHATEVER IT TAKES -- AND WITH A FEW HUNDRED PEOPLE DOING THIS A FEW HUNDRED TIMES A MONTH -- IT WILL PRODUCE A LOT MORE THAN PERSONAL SATISFACTION -- it's the ONLY WAY to get the people SERVING US in public life to GET OFF THEIR HIGH-HORSES and FAT ASSES, ONCE AND FOR ALL AND GET THE JOB DONE -- OR AT THE VERY LEAST OFFER HOPE THAT HELP IS ON THE WAY.

People can HANG ON for a LONG TIME when they are certain that help is ON THE WAY. When this HOPE FADES -- as it already has in Puerto Rico -- A LONG TIME AGO -- THINGS CAN AND WILL ONLY GET SO BAD THAT SOMEDAY SOON HUNDREDS OF PUERTO RICANS WILL BE SWIMMING TO AND FLOATING TOWARDS The Dominican Republic and Cuba on a daily basis -- TO ESCAPE!!!!!

Well, that's all folks! Until next Friday.

Keith

For motivational speeches, conferences, media requests and other things such as eating disorders, you'll have to contact someone else. My only qualifications for writing a weekly column are based solely upon having a lot of free time, unlimited Internet access and very little else.