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Articles by Gary Mounce
Lord Acton Archives - Rio Grande Guardian
The Rio Grande Guardian was the first online newspaper to launch on the South Texas border, starting out in July, 2005. It is still the market leader, setting the pace and breaking news often before traditional media outlets.
Mounce: Wisdom from a Dead, White, European Male – Rio Grande Guardian
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... My title does not refer to myself – not yet. I refer to the justifiably famous Lord Acton (1834-1902). I refer to that English historian’s often quoted letter to a Bishop (and a warning to all of England, to all of mankind): “Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely!” Listening, Donald Trump? Greg Abbott? Probably not. But you who believe in limits to power? Surely, you are worried. Results of unrestrained power?
Mounce: Letter to My Conservative Friends – Rio Grande Guardian
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... Yes, I still have a few good conservative friends. Amazed? You shouldn’t be. We somehow manage to avoid the “elephant in the room” and talk of anything but politics. But now? I can’t hold back. I have a question for you, for them: How do you stay positive? In face of LESS government? (thousands fired). In face of drastic cuts to early warning systems (for floods, for hurricanes). Oh, you have adequate shelter, adequate flood insurance?
Mounce: Independence from Cuts – Rio Grande Guardian
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... “Food, glorious food” sang the hungry children in the Broadway play, “Oliver,” based on the story, “Oliver Twist” by Charles Dickens. The inspiration: Oliver’s plea in that story “please, Sir, may I have some more porridge.” The context: poverty and dreary work houses for children in England’s Industrial Revolution. It seems the nasty past is repeating itself. Food is scarcer, more expensive, and threatened by current threats from the national government.
Mounce: What Will History Name Us? – Rio Grande Guardian
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... If this national administration does not lead us into war with Iran (with its possible nuclear ramifications), if we survive the gas-lighting and the war-mongering… what will future historians make of this choking point in history? What would it take? Trump to wear an actual crown in the White House Rose Garden he is paving over? Install an actual golden throne in the flying palace, gifted by the Princes of Qatar?
Mounce: Seven Deadly Sins: Which Will Ruin Us? – Rio Grande Guardian
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... The Seven Deadly Sins: Pride; Greed; Wrath; Envy; Lust; Gluttony; Sloth. Any one of them–carried to the extreme–pernicious to an individual, ruinous for the body politic. Gluttony, especially rampant today in our government, in plain sight, predominates. The gluttony of a major authority figure leads the massive corruption occurring. The current cover of the New Yorker (“Soft Landing,” by Barry Blitt, May 26) illustrates the gluttony we are facing.
Mounce: Mexico: Technical Solution or Miraculous Cure? – Rio Grande Guardian
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... An old joke, often told by Mexicans: God promises his angels to solve Mexico’s problems. He asks: “do you want the technical solution, or the miraculous cure?” “Please explain,” answered the bewildered angels, angelically concerned about disparities of wealth, about violence. God answers “the technical solution? La Virgen de Guadalupe will re-appear, wave her hands, and all will be resolved.” But then, wonder the angels, what is the miraculous cure?
Mounce: Nuremberg and Santayana: Brave Students and UTRGV – Rio Grande Guardian
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... Muchas gracias, Mark Reagan. Gracias for the good news about brave students in our midst (MyRGV, 16 Apr 25). Four international students, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, abruptly had visas revoked. They just “filed a federal lawsuit in Brownsville, against the US Department of Homeland Security.” Those students hail from Mexico—not surprising—but also from Nepal and Iran. They represent, symbolically, others (still on campus?
Mounce: "Who Will Save You?" – Rio Grande Guardian
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... Think you’re safe? Think Trump can’t find you in the Rio Grande Valley? Think again. Now it’s not just immigrants; it’s students, here at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and Texas A&M and all over the nation (Omar Zapata, My Rio Grande Valley, 10th April, 2025). Nine students with visas revoked here at UTRGV. No reasons given. My special reason for feeling the pain?
Mounce: The Evil Men Do: Down with Mexicans? – Rio Grande Guardian
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... Mexico has a memorable dicho, or saying: “No Hay Mal que Dure Cien Anos, Ni Gente Quien lo Aguante.” So many of the good folks in this Rio Grande Valley of Texas are bi-lingual and may need no translation. But, just in case: There is not an evil that can last 100 years, nor people who will put up with it. The evil is all around us. It was here, in Germany, in the last century.
Mounce: “T’aint “Funny, McGee”: Humor Not Working – Rio Grande Guardian
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... Only those my age might remember that laugh-line. It’s from Molly (in her Wistful Vista home, via the popular radio’s Johnson Wax Program, “Fibber McGee and Molly”, from 1940-1959). Molly would lament “t’aint funny, McGee” as her fumbling husband, “Fibber,” was overwhelmed by the contents tumbling out, as he unwittingly–for the umpteeth time–opened the door of their over-stuffed closet. Similar chaos seems to be tumbling around about us at this time.
Mounce: Tortillas and Tanks: Rio Grande Valley Disrupted – Rio Grande Guardian
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... The ancient, famous tortilla: Aztec invented, in one single item: food, container, napkin (and, if left to harden, frisbie?). What is more “Valley” (as in Rio Grande Valley of Texas) than the tortilla? What (plus mole poblano inside, or melted cheese outside, etc.) can serve better to bring us together, on either side of the Rio Grande River? Well, perhaps threats to those who make and serve tortillas?
Mounce: 1984—Redux – Rio Grande Guardian
“War is Peace!” “Slavery is Freedom!” “Socialism for the Rich, Capitalism for the Poor!” Whoops, I added that last demand, riffing on slogans from the dark tale of the near future, the alarming Nineteen Eighty-four (1984), by George Orwell, 1949. 1984 was banned in the Soviet Union. Strange, it hasn’t been banned, (as yet) in the U.S. But just wait.
Mounce: Bobby! Bobby! Bobby! – Rio Grande Guardian
Hear that? “Bobby! Bobby! Bobby!” The acclaim of a mob of adoring, young college women? No. The attempt to convey affection, to evoke memories of the real Bobby Kennedy, former Attorney General and former U. S. Senator, assassinated in 1968! It is a term now used frequently, nauseatingly, by numerous Republican Congresspersons, fawning over Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., son of Bobby Kennedy. They use it to pretend they know him, to pretend they are his friend. Kennedy was confirmed by the U. S.
Mounce: Bamboozled! Hoodwinked! Betrayal of the Public Good – Rio Grande Guardian
If I were to go back to the classroom (I’m now retired from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg, Texas), I would not be able to use some of my old-timey terms, like “bamboozled” or “hoodwinked.” That’s what happened to us in the last presidential election! But, it seems, many (a plurality, but not majority; he did not win a “mandate”) indeed, were fooled. Fooled? Yes.
Mounce: “POCHO!” Go Home!
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments.
Mounce: "POCHO!" Go Home! – Rio Grande Guardian
“Pocho“! Some Mexican Americans (from the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, or elsewhere) might have heard that insult hurled at them during a trip to Mexico. If so, sorry. How callous. How hurtful was that Mexican, unaware of the difficulties that U.S. citizen/tourist/shopper (perhaps in Reynosa or Progreso, visiting his or her family) has had with the Spanish language.
Mounce: President Biden is Dyslexic – Rio Grande Guardian
Yes, believe me. President Biden is dyslexic. So am I. So are 20% of the Rio Grande Valley and the population of the USA. “Trump instead of Harris”, “Putin instead of Zelenskyy”, “Medicare instead of Big Pharma.” It is so obvious. President Biden is dyslexic. So am I. I have been all my life. It makes me more empathetic. It also makes me wonder why more emphasis, more money from the State of Texas is not dedicated to dealing with this condition in our schools.
Mounce: Pachanga in the Valley: Democracy in Action – Rio Grande Guardian
The definition in Spanish of “Pachanga” is “boisterous party with drinking and dancing!” There was no dancing and no drinking (except for water provided by Justice Marla Cuellar and crew). There were, however, lots of cups of Mexican Street Corn, sandia, paletas de todos sabores, and–if this were a German HillCountry affair–gemutlich.
Mounce: La Pulga (Flea Market): Big Business in the Rio Grande Valley – Rio Grande Guardian
“Where to park?” So many cars! “There’s a spot!” So we parked on North Alton Boulevard, Alton, Texas, at Pulga Los Portales. We entered that sprawling city within a city, giddy with anticipation. This was pre-Covid, a few years ago; but the Pulga is still there, gracias a Dios. It is one of several in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas and among over 5,000 in the U.S. Pulgas are street markets where vendors often sell second hand goods, often outdoors.
Mounce: City of Edinburg celebrates America's Second Independence Day – Rio Grande Guardian
EDINBURG, TEXAS – Wednesday, June 19th, is “Juneteenth.” It is, in reality, America’s “second Independence Day.” Slavery had been abolished in the Confederacy on January 1st, 1863. But, in Texas, white landlords did not share that information with their slaves; they connived to squeeze out as many months or years more of free labor as they could.
Mounce: Letter to by Daughter: Mexican Elections
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments.
Mounce: Letter to by Daughter: Mexican Elections – Rio Grande Guardian
My Dearest Daughter: You wrote to me, asking, “why do upper classes in Mexico fear the new Presidenta (Claudia Sheinbaum) so much? This is my reply. . . They should not be so fearful. They should be joyful. They were fearful. Fearful the masses who won the election (by a landslide) will turn on them. But, instead, they should be happy. Happy that Mexico has a democracy, had democratic elections (observed by UN and OAS). They should be relieved there was such an outlet to express needs and emotions.
Mounce: Letter to my Daughter: Mexican Elections – Rio Grande Guardian
My Dearest Daughter: You wrote to me, asking, “why do upper classes in Mexico fear the new Presidenta (Claudia Sheinbaum) so much? This is my reply. . . They should not be so fearful. They should be joyful. They were fearful. Fearful the masses who won the election (by a landslide) will turn on them. But, instead, they should be happy. Happy that Mexico has a democracy, had democratic elections (observed by UN and OAS). They should be relieved there was such an outlet to express needs and emotions.
Mounce: Ovarios Contra Violencia! Ovaries Against Violence! – Rio Grande Guardian
Yes, she said it. Who? Xóchitl (meaning “flower” in Maya), or Bertha Xóchitl Gálvez Ruiz—now, simply, Xochitl, politician, and businesswoman. She was mayor of Miguel Hidalgo (borough of Mexico City) from 2018 to 2023. Xóchitl served as a Senator in the LXIV and LXV Legislatures of the Mexican Congress. (Her message: “ovaries” or women, are needed to confront gangs and violence). Sixty-one years old, Xóchitl is from Tepatepec, of Indigenous origins through her father.
Mounce: Chocolate, Champagne, and Something Else in the Quarter – Rio Grande Guardian
Access Esperanza Clinics—Access to Hope! AEC provides healthcare to women and men, including, but not limited to reproductive and sexual healthcare. It provides primary healthcare and routine screenings. It receives funding from federal land state programs plus grants from charitable foundations.
Mounce: Truckers and Convoys and Traitors, Oh My! – Rio Grande Guardian
South Texas, beware! Members of a trucker’s convoy,“Take Our Border Back,” are a’comin’ to our area. They claim to be protesting “immigration and globalist forces, eroding national sovereignty.” The convoy departed from Virginia Beach Monday, heading to the Texas/Mexican border. Rallies for February 3rd were scheduled for Eagle Pass, Texas, Yuma, Arizona, and San Yisidro, California.
Mounce: From Russia with Love? Immigrants on the Rio Grande – Rio Grande Guardian
“Do you need workers? We are tech-ready and want to work.” (Russian amnesty-seeker at Puente de Progreso, Progreso, Tamaulipas, México, Friday, the 5th of January, 2024). More questions; more responses: “Mexicans are nice to us. Soldiers are nice to us. Tourists give us food; we don’t ask for it.” All in very good English, from both white Russians and Asian Russians on that same bridge. Many had been there for weeks already, preparing, perhaps, to stay for months more.
Mounce: Cascanueces - The "Nutcracker" - Hope and Joy in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas – Rio Grande Guardian
The “Nutcracker,” a Christmas classic! This important Christmas tradition is well worth repeating and reviewing. One does not have to go to New York City or Houston to see it. It is here, in the Rio Grande Valley. You can experience (again?) this classic this coming Saturday, December 16, 1:00 p.m. or 5:00 p.m., or Sunday, December 17, 12 noon or 4:00 p.m., at Edinburg North High School Auditorium, Edinburg, Texas.
Mounce: “A-hab, the A-rab”? Or Ancient Roots of Our Culture? – Rio Grande Guardian
Remember Ray Stevens? “A-hab, theA-rab?” Hope you don’t. It is something that could not (should not) be released today, that satire so corny, bordering on racist. Yet, some might retain that song or other such stereotypes about “Arabians,” or Arab Americans: “Fatima, sippin’ on a Coca-Cola;” or “Clyde,” the Camel, taking Ahab to the devious “Sultan’s” tent. Such memes no longer please us.
Garza: World on Edge: Calling all Statesmen. – Rio Grande Guardian
Last night, president Biden appealed to the nation, and the world, for $100 billion in funding as a show of continued support for both Israel and Ukraine. This address comes almost two weeks after Hamas launched a brutal attack against Israel with Israel subsequently launching a counter-attack against Hamas in Gaza. As the conflict continues, so too, does a mounting humanitarian crisis with Palestinian civilians unable to evacuate.
Mounce: Inshalá, Ojalá, May God Make It So – Rio Grande Guardian
“President Biden may soon accept an invitation to visit Israel” (New York Times, 16 Oct 23). The Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, in an unprecedented shift of conscience, has announced a major policy change. He turned his “War Cabinet” into a Peace Cabinet, listening to the vast number of Israeli citizens, and others throughout the world, desirous of a change to peace and progress in the Middle East. Israel will not invade Gaza. Instead, Israel will halt war preparations.
Rivera: Celebrating One Year with Elsa EDC: A Journey of Diverse Experiences and Shared Passion – Rio Grande Guardian
As I mark my one-year anniversary with the Elsa EDC, gratitude is the emotion that stands tall. Every step of my varied career path has been enriched by experiences that have shaped me and by remarkable individuals whose insights have been pivotal in guiding me to where I am today. Starting as an E.I.T./Graduate Engineer, I delved into the complex tapestry of engineering and construction projects.
Mounce: Cherokee Strip, Memories and Mea Culpa – Rio Grande Guardian
Personal recollections meet up in strange ways with historical facts. My sister and I are grandchildren of two pioneers who made the 1893 Cherokee Strip “Land Run.” The next wagon was driven by Jesus Villaseñor, Mexican friend of my Grandfather. No! Wait! That last sentence is a lie! No Mexican or Mexican American made the race, to my knowledge. Neither did Native Americans, whose land this had been. Nor did any more than 42 African Americans, among the over 160,000 participants.
Perryman: Big Mac Attack – Rio Grande Guardian
The Economist magazine’s Big Mac index was recently released, providing insights into the cost of the classic McDonald’s burger in countries around the world. The index was started in 1986 to provide a quick look at how currencies are trending against one another. The economic concept of purchasing power parity (PPP) indicates that exchange rates change over time to equalize the global price of an identical basket of goods and services.
Staples: Oil and Natural Gas Continue to Fuel Learning Across Texas – Rio Grande Guardian
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As summer draws to a close and fall approaches, college students are headed back to campus and parents across Texas are hard at work getting children ready to return to school. Each fall, I am reminded of the incredible role that the oil and natural gas industry plays in educating the future of Texas.
By Todd Staples, Gary Mounce Verified, John Young, Jose Lopez, José María López Verified, Jose López, José López, Jose lOPEZ
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Rio Grande Guardian
Verified
Young: Oh, my – Rio Grande Guardian
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Further to the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service news article, “NextDecade hosts stakeholder appreciation and FID celebration reception.” Oh, my. No public announcement about the status of Rio Grande LNG’s project lease agreement with the Port of Brownsville. Has Rio Grande LNG been able to sign a twenty-year project site lease with the Port? Or is it still making quarterly payments to the Port to maintain the terms of the Lease Agreement. Oh, my.
By John Young, Gary Mounce Verified, Jose Lopez, José María López Verified, Jose López, José López, Jose lOPEZ, M. Ray Perryman
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Rio Grande Guardian
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Mounce: As We Speak . . . – Rio Grande Guardian
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As we speak, we face eminent danger, as do the “prohibited, forbidden inhabitants, the atravesados,” or “trespassers,” of the borderlands. They are so called in the words of Rio Grande Valley philosopher, Dr. Gloria Anzaldua, who studied and valued them (Professor Claire Urbanski, “Critical Theory for Political Theology: Gloria Anzaldua,” 29 Jun 21). We have reached a point “como aqua para chocolate,” a point of boiling.
By Gary Mounce Verified, Jose Lopez, José María López Verified, Jose López, José López, Jose lOPEZ, M. Ray Perryman, Charlotte Ramsey
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Rio Grande Guardian
Verified
Garza: USMCA: Encouraging, but miles (and some politics) to go. – Rio Grande Guardian
After twenty plus years in country, and over a decade at White & Case here in Mexico City, I can honestly say that if you’re looking to escape the heat where you are, you should consider a long weekend in one of the world’s most amazing cities. And no reason to take my word for it, here’s a great take on Mexico City. OK, enough of the travel promo. This summer has brought some encouraging economic news for the US and North America at-large.
Silva: Proposed Air Quality Regulations Threaten South Texas Growth – Rio Grande Guardian
South Texas is becoming a national hub for manufacturing. Our area has added 2,000 new manufacturing jobs over the last five years, representing about 30% of all new manufacturing jobs in the U.S. according to Mike Willis of the South Texas Manufacturing Association. Further, Keith Patridge at the McAllen Economic Development Corporation is finding many companies are moving labor-intensive plants to the U.S. from Mexico as automation becomes more prevalent.
Young: Why Rio Grande LNG and Rio Bravo Pipeline projects could be goners – Rio Grande Guardian
NextDecade, its Rio Grande LNG project, and, thereby, Enbridge’s Rio Bravo Pipeline project could all be goners.
Mounce: Arriba, Los Toros! “Bullish”on Mexico? – Rio Grande Guardian
A recent speaker in South Texas is “bullish” on Mexico! Duncan Wood, Senior Advisor, Mexico Institute, Wilson Center, Washington, D.C., says “the future is bright” for Mexico and both sides of its northern border. (Steve Taylor and Blanca Gomez, “Everything Duncan Wood said about the Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation Event,” Rio Grande Guardian, 28 Jul 23).
Mounce: Hola, Holywood! Todo Listo! Ready for You!
That’s Ciudad Mier calling. I visited that tiny (4,000) town in northern Mexico, near the US border, only ayer—yesterday. It beckons Hollywood, “ready for its close-up,” for a new Western, half-Mexican, half-North American. My friends and I felt like we were stepping into the 19th century. The town seems almost deserted. But it is clean, well-kept and charming. Mier (formerly “Paso del Cántaro”) was named for Servando Teresa de Mier and founded by José Escandon in 1753.
Mounce: “Sinko de Mayo?” or Arriba con México?
Fast approaching is Cinco de Mayo (5th of May). Or, as some of my Tequila shot-drinking students gleefully anticipated, “El Sinko de Mayo.” They (and others, badly informed, until my classes) often said they were celebrating “Mexican Independence Day.” Not so. That would be “Dieciseis de Septiembre” (16 of September 1810), against the Spanish. It was on the 5th of May 1862, that the famous “Batalla de Puebla,” (Battle of Puebla) took place.
Mounce: El Chicano Sintetizante y el Gringo Simpatico
Flyer for NACCS2023 The synthesizing Chicano and the sympathetic Gringo! Youwill meetboth at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, (UTRGV), Brownsville, Texas, March 23 through 25. Join the National Association of Chicana/Chicano Studies Conference.
Viva Vaqueros! Charreada in South Texas
A major charreada (contest/performances of Mexican cowboys) took place Saturday, March 11, 2023, rural Hidalgo County, south Texas. (North Bentsen/Palm Drive). Sponsored by the Mexico-U.S. Charro Association, events began in late afternoon, continuing until evening. A charro is a Mexican horseman, typically in some aspect of elaborate traditional dress, not just a dusty cowboy. A charreada (probably ancestor to the rodéo) involves competitive equestrian events.
Mounce: Sorpresas! Surprises in Mexico!
“Best laid plans of mice . . .” Robert Burns would not have been surprised. Trip to Guanajuato, State of Guanajuato, Mexico. After Navidad, through Año Nuevo, and beyond. By bus from McAllen, Texas. (Only $106 dollars, RT, for Senior Citizens.) Bus full. Fifteen hour trip. “Tu servidor” (meaning “Your Servant,” that is, myself) and my compañeros, and most passengers masked. But, . .
Mounce: Noche Buena: Mexico’s Christmas Gift
Noche Buena, or Christmas eve, is a Mexican Christmas gift, right on our doorstep. Among other hopeful signs, “tourism is rebounding after two years in a pandemic-induced recession” (“The Rise of Mexico,” Hotels, 5 Dec 22). Mexico beckons! Go, enjoy the Zen, for Christmas eve or the passion, for New Year’s eve. Go to nearby Progreso, here on the border of the Rio Grande. Have a margarita at Arturos. Perhaps go on to Guanajuato, San Miguel de Allende, or one of the other pueblos mágicos.
Ill-fated “Roarin’ Twenties (1920s) vs. Hopeful Twenties (2020)
A great deal of hope was found today among supporters of Access Esperanza (Access to Hope). Their 20th Anniversary Celebration in bustling, downtown Pharr, Texas, shown brightly in the Autumn twilight, Saturday, November 5th, 2022 The gala was held, appropriately, in the enormous, iconic fruit market on Cage Boulevard, now storage for Access Esperanza goods. Valet parking, champagne and shimmering flappers galore adorned the premises. Honored was Dr. Fernando J.
Mounce: South Texas Politics: Still Your Mama’s Version?
Democrats dominate the news in south Texas politics? It seemed so to your Mama. No longer. If you believe the media, there is a “red tide coming (November 8th). Republicans: are they making inroads in south Texas? They already have – steadily increasing their vote in the last few presidential elections. Why? Clichés? Can they be helpful in answering that question?
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