Whore or saint? The enigma of Evita Peron.

[Cleita]

When I was living with my family in Chile in the mining camp my father worked in, we were about a hundred miles from any city where you could get radio and there was no TV. This was during the time Eva Peron was Argentina's First Lady. Yes I'm giving my age away.

My father had a shortwave radio that could pick up signals from New York and pretty much anywhere else in South America. We used to listen to Evita give speeches live from Buenos Aires. She was an actress and could really rouse the crowds. My father didn't like her. Many men didn't at that time because they felt she didn't know her place. He called her a female Hitler.

From her speeches you could believe the similarity because she brought down the crowd. The shouts of Evita, Evita from the crowds would resonate even over the radio. She often had to pause for often five minutes until the shouting subsided before she could continue her speech. It was very cultlike.

Yet, she brought health care to the poor and the vote to Argentinian women as well as other rights for the women. She housed, clothed and fed the poor often with money she had blackmailed from the wealthy. Once she rose to power, anyone who had ever slighted her became her victim. She had a very long memory. Her popularity among the poor and the working class was immense.

She was good to herself as well, wearing Paris couture, expensive jewelry and luxurious furs. When criticized about this especially because her base was the poor, she dismissed the criticism saying that they expected her to look good.

She died at a very young age, thirty by some accounts and thirty-three by others. There is evidence she lied about her age, but most women in the world at that time did the same. However, that didn't stop the near worship her admirers had for her. There are still those who want the Vatican to canonize her a saint.

Well, saint or sinner, Evita was certainly unique in her day. She gave hope to the women of South America who were very much trapped in a patriarchal culture that they or their daughters could gain the rights that Evita had brought to the table and start a movement about.

Here is a brief biography of her for those who don't know much about her.

http://www.answers.com/topic/eva-per-n

[EFerrari]

1. (I went to the link to read and there's shoe ads on the page.

Someone is confusing her with Imelda Marcos LOL! Uppity women! :toast: )

[EFerrari]

2. Wow. I never realized how beautiful she was. n/t

[Cleita]

3. Actually, there is a similarity.

Imelda has been compared to Evita for getting even with those who offended her in some way once she became First Lady.

[EFerrari]

4. Men in power have always done that, though, haven't they?

I don't know anything about Imeda Marcos except what was aired here.

[Cleita]

5. Well, there is a difference too. Everything Imelda did was

for Imelda and her family. Eva did a lot of charity work and she really helped the poor as much as she could. The plight of the poor never troubled Imelda.