Assumptions Page > 1, 2, 3
Judgement 1: Cuban-Americans are using the boy as a political pawn.
I personally don't believe they think Castro's regime will fall if Elián stays. But, like every situation, some will exploit. Don't group all Cuban-Americans under this judgement.
Judgement 2: They hate Castro more than they care about the boy.
This is the most de-humanizing suggestion. The suggestion is that dissidents (and our government) have been fighting nothing for 40 years. Suddenly we are ignoring the human rights reports, executions, political prisoners, and lack of free speech or religion. Many people in Little Havana have had first hand experience under communist Cuba. My personal belief is that they have full personal knowledge of the human crimes reported and do not want the boy returned to that environment.
Judgement 3: The family brainwashed Elián.
I have no doubt the family has said negative things about Cuba. We have no evidence that they have said anything negative about the father to Elián. The lack of evidence means this is an assumption. Because Elián still believes his mother is alive, some say the family has led him to believe this. For some reason people believe Elián is not supposed to understand asylum, but he can understand death. How much time are you willing to spend to convince a six year old that his mother his dead? I believe denial is an adult reaction too.
Judgement 4: The video was coached. The family is abusive.
I happen to believe the video was coached. He behaves like many of the children I've directed in plays. If the boy ever makes a statement with his father, he will have discussed it first with his father. That's coaching. If it's abuse, I ask you to consider the children who Castro bussed to various rallies in Cuba. I also would like to point out that even the Justice Department says the family cares about Elián and has made no accusations of abuse.
Judgement 5: They violated the law/court order.
I have not been able to find out which law or court order. They did violate the will of the Justice Department and the INS. A command from Reno is not the same as a court order. Let's pray it never is.
Judgement 6: The raid was a last resort against people who would not comply
I'll reiterate that compliance with the will of the Justice Department is not a legal requirement. They could have requested a court order for the family to bring Elián to court. The date could be immediate, or on the scheduled May 11th hearing. If the family violated the court order, they could be arrested and lose their case. The "last resort" says that they tried all other avenues with the family. Reno usually follows up by saying the family was asking for too much. This contradicts "last resort".
Judgement 7: The crowd outside the house was unruly.
The protesting crowd had unusual demographics. There were a lot more senior people in the various vigils outside the house. The footage I watched after the raid had older people breaking up the fights of younger people. I saw many old men pointing their fingers and telling the younger ones to behave. When the more violent parts of the protest exploded, you could see that the faces were younger. New faces appeared that were not present before. The crowd consisted of people who had exposure to mobilizing for political purposes.
Judgement 8: The family doesn't care about the father's rights.
As mentioned before, Cuban-American dissidents strongly believe that Cubans are slaves. The oppression of free thought is a consistent theme when human rights activists report on Cuba. The dissidents concerns are based on history and an internationally recognized oppression of free thought.
Regardless of where you fall on the many issues, please don't make it into one single issue. Don't let your emotion control how you perceive their emotion. And, certainly don't assume the very minute number of Cuban-Americans on the network news represent the entire community. Remember that Cuban-Americans have been in this country for decades fighting for the same thing that the U.S. Government wanted. There are many organizations fighting to bring free press, free religion, and legal political opposition to the citizens of Cuba. The emotional baggage is not based on fiction. Their motives are based on personal experiences in a country human rights organizations have been fretting over for decades. Disagree with the Cuban-American dissidents. However, don't trivialize the many issues according to sound bytes from Castro or Reno. Question anyone who reduces themselves to referring to those involved as "kooks". We might think they're crazy, but it's unfounded rhetoric unless there's an examination.
I believe:
- The father should have had immediate custody
- Children have the right to seek asylum from tyrannical governments
- Special provisions for Cubans vs. other immigrants need to be reviewed
- I believe the Justice Department should have tried a court order before using force
- There should be concern that Reno's will is perceived as law
- If a gun is in the room, everyone is in danger
- The embargo should be lifted, but only to reduce U.S. hypocrisy
- The reports on Cuban human rights are not fiction and need to be discussed
- There are situations where we wouldn't return a child immediately
- This isn't one simple issue or sound byte
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--by Richard L Vázquez--