The entertainment was great and the artwork was beautiful... but no one dared to mention the crimes committed by the artists (or the victims they killed and maimed) at an art show honoring convicted terrorists at the UCC headquarters last evening. For a church so vocal against violence and armed conflict, the silence said more than the art.
In his closing remarks, UCC President John Thomas referred to the artwork of Oscar Lopez Rivera and Carlos Alberto Torres as the "imaginative vision of Shalom" while plainly ignoring the violence which lead to their imprisonment in the first place. Thomas's fawning over convicted terrorist Alejandrina Torres without mentioning her crimes or her victims also spoke volumes about his character, his faith and his politics. Apparently, his often repeated message of peace and non-violence doesn't apply when it comes to people like Alejandrina Torres who was caught on surveillance video building a bomb in the 80's as part of her activities with the FALN. Instead of seizing the moment to, again, preach against violence, Thomas embraced the indignant and unremorseful Torres. Certainly an "imaginative vision of Shalom".
More disappointing than Thomas was Linda Jaramillo, the UCC's executive minister of the Justice and Witness Ministries, who called Alejandrina Torres a "friend" and "role-model".
The event did feature some beautiful demonstrations of Puerto Rican pride, but this pride really had nothing to do with the FALN terrorists, the artwork or Alejandrina Torres.
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