Views on Teen's Escape to Cuba

Some reaction from fellow Miamians following the case of the Miami teen's fleeing to Cuba, via Miami Herald letters to the editor:

Re the Sept. 27 article Student, 14, flees to Cuba: It was disturbing to me that the article contained no mention of family values, paternal love for a son or any reason other than materialism for 14-year-old Alfredo Diaz to wish to remain in the United States.

I hope that material comforts are not the most important reason why the father is living in this country. I fear that many of our recent immigrants have come to the United States for a lifestyle based on material comforts. Perhaps the son needs more than Pizza Hut, the Dolphin Mall, computer privileges, an iPod and the ''other good things in life'' mentioned by the father.

Could it be that the young boy wants to be with his mother because of the love and values she bestows upon him? Perhaps this article should serve as a wake-up call for all of us to examine what's really important.

JOHN ROBSON, Miami

Let's see. There's no custody battle here. The boy appears to be a normal teen living in a home with a father and "stepmother" who care for him. Therefore, why doesn't Mr. Dobson sympathize with the father? Instead, he criticizes immigrants for coming to this country for "material comforts". What's wrong with that? Isn't that a right that we enjoy in a free country? Or is life in Cuba, where material comforts can be bought for a pretty penny but, like freedom, out of reach for the average citizen, better because materialism isn't prevalent? I could almost see his point if Alfredo was living under dire conditions, but it certainly doesn't appear that way from both a material and family perspective. The boy's father punished him for committing voter fraud in his school's elections. Doesn't sound like a father who doesn't care for his kid, does it?

I can only guess on which side of the political spectrum Mr. Dobson lies, but I'd say it's not on mine.

How should Alfredo be punished for what he's done, you may ask? An enlightened Herald reader came up with this:

First, Alfredo Diaz cheats in his classroom elections, then he sneaks back into his house and packs, breaks into his father's safe to get his passport and then uses his father's credit card to fraudulently buy an airline ticket to Cuba.

The best punishment would be for his father to make him stay in Cuba for about six months. Let him do without the amenities of life in Miami and see how he likes it down there.

MEDARDO RODRIGUEZ, Miami

Thank you Mr. Rodriguez.