Word acrobatics: You're not displaced but you have to move to the younger buildings



Colonia Guadalupe built circa 1940, not one of our younger colonias: Picture courtesy LHA

 Words is what we have to express ourselves. They are symbols that represent something concrete, like a pencil, or abstract, like an idea.  Many Laredoans, perhaps myself included, often play fast and loose with words, often using them as they see fit. Some might consider this practice of using words as one sees fit as rather creative, others see it as just being lazy.

The council meetings for the City of Laredo televised on public access (for some of us) is usually a good place to see this in action. Even tonight, there were at least a couple of examples of unorthodox word use. While discussing a plan to revitalize the City of Laredo's public housing units, the talk turned to just how old some of these buildings (colonias Guadalupe,Richter,Russell Terrace,etc) are. Upon hearing that the average age of these housing units is about 55 years, council Mike Garza commented that some housing complexes in his district are probably "younger". The Executive Director of LHA agreed, "yes, those are younger".

Just minutes earlier, city councilwoman Cindy Espinoza remarked that while the demolition/rebuilding of these housing units is taking place, "no one will be displaced".  A minute later, she said that the current residents will "be displaced only for a few months".  It made me wonder if maybe those residents who are not being displaced, could temporarily use the younger housing units in Mr. Garza's area.