I think Hassan has made some interesting statements that reveal feelings many of us didn’t know American Cubans have. He explains how irrational they are to dislike their own former culture, but how firmly held.
I’d say to him, “hang in there.” If older Cubans hate BOTH the Castro regime and Cuba itself, what’s left to be Cuban about?
Latinos bring great enrichment to every aspect of American life. Even in spite of the deep bigotry against them.
The pre-Castro history of Cuba can’t possibly have been all that bad. I don’t claim expertise on the subject, but I’d guarantee there was plenty of good there to take pride in.
I’ve lived in Mexico now for 14 years. I’ve come into a deep love of country – two of them. Mine, the U.S., and the one which accepted me, Mexico, as a foreign resident with such graciousness and generosity of spirit.
Neither nation is perfect. Try to imagine how little I care! I love them BOTH, anyway!
I don’t know Cubanos much, but I’d give dollars to donuts they’re very much like the Mexicanos.
Tell your grandparents that there IS beauty in being a Cubano who dislikes the present regime, but who loves Cuba, warts and all.
Tell them that there is no shame in a U.S. president talking to the bastards running Cuba. The shame will be on the regime, who won’t be able to respond rationally – for all the world to see.
Obama wants to bring democracy back to Cuba. Can any Cuban say they don’t deserve it? There can be no guarantees from his policies – no policies ever come with guarantees of success. But if anyone can do it, it would be Obama.
He means it when he says, “Si! Se puede!”
One thing is for sure, though. The “talk tough, but don’t talk to THEM” policy has given Cubanos a consistent result of – nothing. We now know what won’t work. It’s time to look for something that does.
The Republicans have had years to make their “no-talks” policy accomplish something. Meanwhile, things only got worse.
And now, Cuba and Venezuela are chumming up, based almost exclusively on one shared platform: hatred of the United States. Is HATE a reason for an alliance?
How can changing gears on talking to Castro’s regime possibly be worse than that? It might easily fail – in fact it probably would fail. But it would enhance the prestige of the U.S., because at least they TRIED. And it would show the Castro regime as the oafs that they are.
There was a point in history when Cuba could have been made a state. We didn’t take the opportunity. Maybe we should have. It might have avoided decades of oppression.
Cubanos, you are, most of you, very fine people. Let Obama be your choice for president. You can do worse, but you can’t find a better choice anywhere.
And know that OTHER people know that being a Cubano is something essentially good and worthwhile. I’m white, elderly and disabled. I’m for Obama, and a large part of it is because he would NOT ignore Cuba or Latin America, as the GOP has done. He has a vision to unite the Americas in democracy and prosperity. Even Hillary Clinton’s broadest visions don’t match his.
In today’s evil and volatile world, we need every democracy we can get in order to oppose the forces lined up against human liberty. We can’t afford to ignore a single American democracy. Cuba deserves one, too.
Obama is able to be a president who works “outside of the box” of traditional D.C. politics. That means he will actually be able to get things DONE for us all! Sen. Clinton would be hamstrung, because she’s part of the old system. He isn’t.
Doesn’t that merit a vote of confidence in Obama from Latinos?
Vaya con Dios, Cubanos!
