Camden Is a City of Contrasts
Alonso Heredia
Courier-Post
Camden is a city of contrasts, unusual facts, contradictions and even international records.
It is untrue that this city is only known in bad terms, as one of the poorest and most dangerous in the country.
There is another record for Camden, a pride that extols it. The city’s mayor is one of the oldest people in the world to hold this type of job.
Indeed, Gwendolyn Faison is over 80 years old. Only a few government leaders get to this age while in office.
Fidel Castro, Cuba’s commander in chief; is one of these older individuals who had to interrupt his work due to illness. Despite his health problems and his advanced age, there is no doubt he continues to hold on to power.
In the United States, there is no information about presidents, government leaders or other recent mayors who have worked past their 80th birthday. But Camden is always a curious exception to the realities of Americans.
For example, this country’s governmental body is based on one of the strongest bipartisan structures in the world. The solid presence of Democrats and Republicans in national and regional affairs is absolute.
However, these parties do not appear in Camden’s municipal elections; they were sentenced to death in 1995 through a referendum.
Basically, all political parties, hence all alternatives, have been eliminated in detriment of Camden’s community. In other words, this is a form of dictatorship.
Certainly, if there are no political parties in Camden, there are no primaries either. This is another exception that makes Camden a city that stands apart from the national political system.
It is during a political campaign that in-depth debate about subjects that matter to Camden’s residents should take place, but sadly Camden has excluded itself from this healthy democratic practice.
Normally, debate goes on within each party during the primaries, and in the general election campaign both, Democratic and Republican party candidates discuss their positions.
Another political paradox: Camden has banned political parties from municipal elections, but the reality is that a powerful party does exist here.
Democrats hold so much power in Camden that it is difficult to pinpoint exactly when they took hold of absolute power. For this reason, it is possible to talk about a party dictatorship taking place in Camden; just another strange event in this city.
The Republican Party, on the other hand, is deeply embedded with the roots of the American nation and has millions of members. Yet, Republicans have been in all practical terms politically displaced from most of Camden.
All political systems based on popular vote elect representatives for a specific job. In other words, officers get power from the people.
Camden is an exception to the rule. The mayor and council members, the two most popular positions in the electoral system, lack power over decisive subjects for this city.
Real power is held by a chief operating officer who nobody elected. What’s more, it is a mystery who designates this officer or even where his office is located.
This is among the reasons why Camden holds yet another international record: electoral abstinence. In the recent May 8 election, only 8.4% of registered voters went to the polls.
Camden is known by other contradictory terms, such as being one of the poorest cities in the country and at the same time located in one of the richest states.
Over 50-million tourists come to the United States every year. Out of those numbers, not one sets foot in Camden, despite being right across the Delaware from Philadelphia; its famous and historical companion.
Certainly, this is not Camden in London; it is Camden, New Jersey.
Those who have been to London know of the beautiful Camden neighborhood, famous for its street markets.
Every year, thousands of tourists visit this place to enjoy its offerings – bars, clubs, restaurants and pubs. The most emblematic place is probably The World’s End, which opened in 1778.
Surely, Camden’s name in New Jersey was taken from Europe. There is also historic evidence that the London neighborhood was christened in honor of William Camden, a famous English antiquarian and historian.
Today, Sir Camden would not be proud of the city that took his name in New Jersey – it is rumored that he hated living in poverty.
Perhaps Camden took its name in New Jersey from its etymology. Several experts, including the humanist Nicolas Fabri Peiresc (born in 1580) argued that the term Camden first appeared in Old English with the meaning of “a city that is erected on humid and sad terrain.”
® Translation copyright Virtua Language Agency, LLC
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