The Madres de la Plaza de Mayo this week was difficult to stomach. I cannot imagine the fear and frustration that those mothers must have been experiencing. Moreover, that the government was so unrelenting in its stance. Understandably, because how could they admit to what they had done. It is heartbreaking, however, when all they wanted to know was “whether [their] sons [were] alive or dead” so that they could ease their wonderings. As the mothers gathered in the plaza, at first they were undisturbed until it was realized that they would damage the government’s profile if they continued on and from there they were blocked from the plaza. The text goes on to say that international media had picked up on the story by then and that the mothers tried to use it to their advantage, speaking whenever they could of the injustices done to them.

While the events that lead to these gatherings discourage me to no end, the demonstration that they created was nothing short of incredible. Despite any other differences they may have had they all came together, peacefully, only to gain any knowledge of their children’s whereabouts or wellbeing. Furthermore, these were not political women, not radical reformists but working-class women. There is much to be said on the strength of women, and especially that of mothers. Being a mother at that time must have been even more nerve-wracking than I imagine it is at any other given time. What I picked up from this reading was the resiliency of these women. In class it was even said that these mothers still continue to gather today. Still wanting answers and wanting to know what happened to their children.