CUBAN-AMERICAN WAR DANCE ON THE HYPHEN

       Another Side Of AMARILYS GACIO RASSLER / Out with the fangs!

         "Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights

                   of all who are destitute."  Proverbs 31:8  (NIV)
    

                                       CUBAN-AMERICAN WAR DANCE ON THE HYPHEN

           Fumes rise through every inch of my Cuban-American body and I war dance on my hyphen after sitting on a major sandspur today and not being able to pull it out. The sandspur being  the new  La Gaceta article where the editor, Patrick Manteiga, continues to deceive people with his encouragements for better relationships with Cuba and his lies about Cuba being so much better today.

           "Our first trip with the Alliance ... opened our eyes to the many falsehoods that had been propagated in our opinion of Cuba due to the one-sided propaganda in this country." These are Patrick Mantega's words from his As We Heard It, column in this week's La Gaceta, his trilingual newspaper here in Tampa.  

           Manteiga is part of this Alliance for Responsible Cuba Policy Foundation who is planning to meet in a private cocktail party this weekend  to reunite those who have gone to Cuba. Former Tampa Mayor, Dick Greco, was one of these persons who went to Cuba in 2002.  Albert A. Fox, Jr., is another leader in this open door policy for Cuba, the voice that speaks of Castro not being such a bad guy. I've heard Mr. Fox speak  in front of an audience of mostly American citizens at a meeting in a cafe here in Tampa, of the many trips he's made to Cuba and the embraces he received from Fidel Castro.

            Both Manteiga and Fox, have the same opinion from the speeches I've heard them give. They share of their visits with Castro and feasting at his banquets. According to them, Castro is not the devil people say he is and Cubans in exile are still emotionally handicapped. They need to get over it.  Cuba has changed. American tourism should be opened. Consider  the financial gain for the U.S., Tampa  especially, and Cuba, they say.

WHAT ARE THEY TALKING ABOUT?   I speak with those coming from Cuba continuously  and conditions there are still horrible.  A man who visited with me recently, who went back to Cuba after a short stay to see his family here, had to take his father to chemo therapy in Cuba on a bicycle because he couldn't afford a car and he's a psychologist ... a  psychologist who gets paid $20 a month.

   Gruesome stories came out of him and his wife, one after another. The shortage of food, the rundown buildings, the medical help for the Cubans in Cuba that lacks cleanliness and medications, the  recent fears of diseases ...  and you even have to bring your own water and linen for your bed in the hospital.

 WHAT ARE THEY TALKING ABOUT? 

    They speak of safety but ANYONE can get arrested. In Cuba there's no guarantee of justice. Look how they placed that poor Jewish fellow in prison for bringing in cellular phones and computer to his family. If they need to make an example out of you, you're gone. AND, what U.S. government can save you? The fellow is serving 20 years in prison and has lost 100 lbs.

 WHAT ARE THEY TALKING ABOUT? 

  You can't say what you believe. There're still ears on walls and you might be the next one to be made an example of even as an innocent tourist. You might be the one they choose to try  to make some exchange with for their own gain.  AMERICANS BEWARE!

WHAT ARE THEY TALKING ABOUT? 

 PATRICK MANTEIGA AND ALBERT FOX, JR.,:  Are Castro and his government really good?  Have things really changed?  THE DEAD CRY OUT FROM UNDER THE WATERS OF CUBA TO KEY WEST ... LIBERTAD, LIBERTAD!