[freedomtowernight_edited.jpg] 26th Parallel: Rafters Sent Back to Cuba

Monday, January 09, 2006

Rafters Sent Back to Cuba

Just read the sad story over at Babalu.

Basically, the rafters got sent back because the piling they touched wasn't attached to the portion of the old bridge that touches land.

Can you believe that? That's the kind of arbitrary decision-making that goes on in Washington. The kind of arbitraty decision that affects people's lives in a huge way. The rafters aren't living, breathing human beings searching for freedom, they are just pieces in a cruel game in which the ones who touch land win, and those who touch a broken portion of a bridge losers.

A reader at Babalu made an interesting comment about the reasons why there wasn't a massive Cuban-American protest in Miami regarding this incident. The reader suggested that Cuban-Americans don't protest in mass numbers because the Republicans are in charge. Interesting and worthy of consideration, but I don't think it's a primary reason.

Here's are my reasons:

- Lack of media coverage. There are many reasons for this, the war in Iraq, Farris Hassan, you name it.

- The leftover aftertaste of the Elian fiasco. Many people were burned and scarred by the events of early 2000. Many of those who protested in front of Elian's house back then, and were there when the boy was seized, had their fighting spirit sapped from them. Those people were once a big part of the core "protest" community. These days, you only have a couple of small groups who protest regularly.

- The Aging of the Cuban Exile Community. This one is closely related to the previous reason. The first-generation exiles are getting long in the tooth, and of course, many have passed away. It's not that the second-generation doesn't care (although some probably don't give a hoot), but it's a different type of activism and protest - one that is more traditionally American (meaning subdued and calculated). This is not a criticism of the old visible and vocal first-generation Cuban method of protest nor of the "American" style. Both methods can be effective. After Elian, however, most people seem hesitant to hit the streets yelling and screaming because of the backlash from the rest of the community.

Also, you have this phenomenom known as "blogging", where average, ordinary people can express their anger, outrage and disgust with a keyboard, mouse, monitor, and broadband connection. What a concept! ;)

- 9/11. The passion that was directed solely toward Cuban issues pre-9/11 has been at least partially diverted to the war on terror. 9/11 shook up many people and made us reflect on our priorities in life.

- Many still associate Wet Foot/Dry Foot with Bill Clinton. Maybe the reader has a point, but this one is down on the list. Clinton signed the initial policy, so he should get a lot of the blame. However, G.W. Bush has had an opportunity to end this ridiculous policy with a stroke of his pen, and hasn't. This fact isn't lost on most Cuban-Americans.

I welcome any other ideas from readers.

2 Comments:

Blogger Val Prieto said...

Excellent points, Robert.

7:41 AM, January 10, 2006  
Blogger Val Prieto said...

There is, of course, one troublesome point that I believe also adds to declining numbers of protesters.

I believe some Cuban exiles no longer protest, especially when it comes to rafters and new arrivals, becuase many of these same rafters, upon being granted asylum and allowed to stay in the US return to Cuba - for whatever reason - as visitors the first chance they get. This surely leaves a very bad taste in the mouths of many Cuban-Americans who believe it just isnt right to plead for political asylum only to return to the same place they were fleeing in the first place.

7:49 AM, January 10, 2006  

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