Five years / Cinco Ano

Hard to believe that five years have passed since that day. A day Elian’s mother probably thought would never happen when she set out across the waters in a bid for freedom. Sadly she did not survive the bid for freedom; in fact only Elian and two others survived from the original party of fourteen.

Five years since Elian’s Miami relatives peacefully defied a court order that commanded them to return Elian to his biological father, even though that meant Elian would have to return to the country his mother sacrificed her life to escape from.

What country is this? Why that workers’ paradise called Cuba. A wonderful country where publicly expressing doubts about infidel Castro will land you in prison. Doubt my assertions, ask the 75 writers and artists who publicly voiced a difference of opinion with el commandante castro. Oh wait, you can’t because they are locked up. Even the United Nations commissioner who has been tasked to investigate Cuba’s human rights violations can not because Cuba will not allow them in.

So the courts of the United States ruled that then six year old Elian had to be returned to his biological father. Even if that meant sending Elian back to Cuba. Seems infidel was not willing to be generous and grant Elian’s father [with new wife and another son] the chance to move to the United States and reunite the family there. But why should we be surprised by this when back in 1980 when thousands upon thousands of Cuban people languished in the seaside town of Mariel yearning to be free, the great pharaoh of Cuba infidel would not soften his heart and let them go. It was not until a great media plague descended upon Mariel that the great pharaoh changed his stance and bestowed upon those at Mariel their chance. But oh what a wicked man infidel was that day when he allowed the people to go, for he seeded amongst all those seeking freedom the criminal and the insane. Such was the infamy those monsters created in the United States that a movie was based on the exploits of these criminals, it was called Scarface; while forever placing on the Mariel boatlift people a stigma that all of them were criminals.

So in a midnight raid, more reminiscent of third world countries, United States federal agents stormed into the house where Elian peacefully lived with his relatives. Quickly searching the house, they found in a closet Elian being protectively held. Aiming an MP-5 sub-machine gun, the body armor shielded agent with the black baklava commanded the unarmed man to surrender Elian to him. And thus Elian was forcefully transferred to federal custody and later reunited with his father.

By allowing this to happen, a brave woman’s dreams were rendered null. Elian’s mother died for nothing. Her bravery was nullified by an American president more concerned with appeasing a tin-pot dictator than with supporting such inalienable rights as freedom. Abetted by judges who willingly turned a blind eye to the injustice of sentencing an innocent boy to an island prison. And finally aided by an Attorney General who was wont to use force to solve sticky problems instead of negotiations.

I will forever hold in contempt anyone who says the right thing was done by returning Elian to Cuba. A grave miscarriage of justice was done that day five years ago. The day a dream of freedom was betrayed. And a mother’s love of her child was considered nothing of importance. Five years ago a tragedy happened that should not have happened. I pray that Elian will be all right. That one day soon infidel will be called for his final accounting and the country of Cuba can finally be free from tyranny and fear.
Long live the revolution!