Letter to the Editor

Where are the dancing grandmas?

Mon, 03/30/2015 - 8:45am

Dear Editor:

When you learn about the death of your neighbor who lost access to medicine in 2014, and watch elected officials give away tax dollars to for-profit firms, life can be depressing and hope is hiding. When Ted Cruz announces his presidential dream and speaks about taking back “our Constitution” — what does he mean?

Take over of Cambodia began by limiting access to food. They provided just enough food to insure there was energy for performing heavy labor, but not enough to fight. Is that what we are doing when we cut SNAP? Not all wars need guns.

Where are the dancing grandmas when you need them? China is a country that is most comfortable when everyone looks the same — gray military-style tunics of shirts and trousers for both males and females. They equated same clothes as a sign that everyone had the same values and were in “unity and cooperation.” Over time, clothing diversity was permitted.

In the past three years, China has witnessed a group of about 100 million grandmas take over large areas of dance space in the cities where they perform unique line dances in the town square. These diverse dances developed as the sun rose, and the sun set. Grandma leaders brought boomboxes for the dance music — popular hits and folk classic songs. They call it square dancing but we would call it line dancing. The grandmas enjoyed the dancing and social time together.

Suddenly China’s authorities expressed concern with the diversity and wanted to standardize the dance to be more “unified.” Grandmas were not happy (dances are creative and diverse) they are not mechanical. Some grandmas said they would stop dancing if this was mandated. Stepping back, authorities say the new standard is not mandated.

Maybe we need our own line dancing grandmas who ask denial of food be stopped and access to medicine be returned — what a hoot that would be. Clearly we need more dancing grandmas who can get the government to step back with a change of heart and provide needed food and medical access. Come on. Grandmas, let’s do it!

Jarryl Larson

Edgecomb