11/25/02: 3 Years Ago Today, Little Elian Pulled From the Ocean

AP

[Recovering_Democrat]

On this day in history, 1999:

Five-year-old Elian Gonzalez was found clinging to an inner tube off the coast near Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The boy, his mother, stepfather, and eleven other Cubans had boarded a small boat in Cuba and attempted to cross the ocean to the U.S. Elian was one of three to survive (his mother and stepfather both drowned). He lived with relatives in Miami until he was seized by the INS in an early morning raid on April 22, 2000. He returned to Cuba with his father on June 28.

[nolaw0ady]

If he was from Hati and ten years older, we coulda just tossed him right back in to the water!

[freepersup]

Just as you try to cast a wider net with your; Castro is father to Elian comment, so does the poster that said; illegal alien returned to home country. Both comments attempt to link larger issues to this event.

I notice that you couldn't resist calling names (Ignorant).

[RMDupree]

It's a fact that Castro is the father of ALL children in Cuba. He determines what they eat, where they go to school, what they grow up to be, what they can say, etc.

Juan Miguel has NO say in his son's life. Period.

Calling someone ignorant is not name-calling if it is true. Read Judge Napolitano's article above. It's safe to say that he knows the law.

[freepersup]

First- I have to work, so I am going to return later to read this.

National Public Radio and many other leftist liberal entities commonly use the following to describe illegal aliens (that are, by the way, ILLEGAL- because: they entered our country ILLEGALLY by BREAKING THE LAW, but what does that matter) OK, here is the mantra repeated all across the country in a calculated and concerted effort: undocumented workers.

Which doesn't address your correct catch (observation) regarding the law giving ONLY Cubans the right to immigrate and receive special status unlike any other foreigners, once they reach the shores of America. Legislation passed after the bay of pigs fiasco.

[RMDupree]

Hati is actually spelled Haiti, just so you know.

There is a big difference between a sixteen year old from Haiti and a 6 year old whose mother died trying to get them to freedom from a communist country (Cuba).

You cannot compare the two. Haitians are escaping economic oppression (like Mexicans), Cubans are fleeing political oppression. Cubans can and will be jailed for even speaking against Castro.

[freepersup]

Such broad declarations would be dismissed outright were they coming from a leftist, as you are speaking without first hand knowledge about the life of Elian, unless you visit his home on a frequent basis.

[Rutabega]

Here's a doozy of a story--for the record, I am a US citizen, and so is my daughter (both born in the US). I married a Swedish guy, and moved to Sweden (not on purpose--I wasn't working when my daughter was born, and the INS messed up his applications--pretty typical since he was married to a citizen, the father of a citizen and is an engineer with a job/sarcasm) and his company had a freeze, so he was let go (he was working under a contract), so we didn't plan to move to Sweden, just stay until we got his applications approved by INS. Anyway, he was rotten, and I told him I was getting seperated, and moving home (this is after almost two years there). This was in May. On Halloween, I got a letter from the US State Dept telling me that he had filed under International law to have me charged with kidnapping. (BTW, he put me on the airplane, and knew exactly where I was the whole time, has called my daughter maybe ten times in seven months, and has not only NOT sent me a penny for child support, he stole money out of my bank account to pay his bills with!) So, the State Dept tells me that I must move back to Sweden posthaste or there is a chance they will take my daughter away from me, put her into foster care, etc. I was shocked and amazed, and consulted lawyers--I was told by someone who has done these cases before that even though Sweden doesn't have a track record of complying with this set of laws (under the Hague Convention)there was a minute chance of my winning. And the cost of even trying? Extreme, plus, if I lost, I would have to pay his lawyer fees as well. So, since the odds were against me, I asked the State Dept what I could do--apparently, not much, they wouldn't even refer a lawyer, though my husband DID get one from my government. So, here's an Elian like caase--involving US citizens, and my own country is selling me out. Makes you think, doesn't it? My daughter is two and a half, and since she lived in Sweden longer than the US, it counts as her habitual residence, and that's why Sweden gets her back. There is NOT A CHANCE in h*ll that I would send her back without me, so there is no point in anyone telling me to! I also tried to get help from my congressman, because I am just a single mom with a tiny income, and there was no way to even think about legal fees. No help, thanks Steny Hoyer! So, I am moving back to Sweden in March (he won't get out of our home there until then--wants me to move back in with him!!!) and can't work because I don't speak the language, and have no income, except Swedish welfare, once I am there. I AM OUTRAGED!!!!!!!!!

[TankerKC]

"FAMILY VALUES PING ! Elian is with his father- nuff said."

Over the past three years I have been confounded by the issues involved in the Elian Gonzales story. It has touched conflicting emotional, logical, and political sensibilities for me.

I started out on the fence. I was torn by two strong influences: 1) My disdain for the Clinton administration, and 2) My feelings as a father.

I cannot change my "knee-jerk" opposition to anything that Clinton and Reno ever did. Like Pavlov's dogs, I have been well conditioned. Clinton's lies are my dog biscuits.

As a father, I readily identified with Juan Miguel. But, we have to separate the way we feel from the way we imagine that he feels. It is all a matter of context. We understand being fathers in our country…...a country were we have rights to due process and we have free will in matters of parenting. Does Juan Miguel? No! Why are we obligated, for the sake of argument, to grant him rights that he does not even have in his own country?

These realities have to be considered. He cannot, and could not, say what he really wanted. Comparisons that treat the situation in Havana and Miami as equal are intellectually dishonest. We demanded parental rights for Juan Miguel, when in fact, only Castro can grant him rights. And, Castro has a 45-year track record of not granting those rights!

If we want to identify with Juan Miguel, lets look at everything he did. It may be true that he had no choice when Elian's mother left Cuba. No choice, at least, that he could voice in Cuba. So, mom and Elian leave Cuba--and the rest is history. What would you have done at that point? I know I would have been on a plane IMMEDIATELY! So would you.

But, what did Juan Miguel do? Or it would be better to ask, what could he do? His choices were limited. Limited not by the US Government or the family in Miami. They were, and are always, limited by Castro alone. Juan Miguel cannot choose to carry out Elian's mother's wishes and allow him to stay in the US. (Although, there are reports that he called the family in Miami and asked them to keep and care for Elian. He called collect, and there are phone records.) Juan Miguel can't even choose to come to the US. When Castro finally let him come, he had to stay in Washington DC. Why? Is that what we would have done? I would have gone to Miami, where my son was.

Who is really free here? The family in Miami is free--Free Americans!. And what did they do when Elian is taken from Miami? Now I can identify, and so can you. They were on the first plane to DC. Their feelings for Elian are clearly and unequivocally reflected in there actions. They quickly followed Elian, because they were allowed to!

Tank

[RMDupree]

These are not broad declarations, freepersup. They are FACTS. Children in Cuba are given a ration card, just as everyone else is. That card determines what they eat, unless their parents have away of earning US dollars and can purchase through "dollar" stores instead of the govt stations which are notorious for having nothing on their shelves.

My mother is Cuban and I have many family members that have arrived from Cuba (legally) recently that can vouch for the system there. Elian's home, in fact his entire block, is constantly surrounded with Cuban police. Elian's family is under massive survellience to avoid the possibility of an embarrassing flight to freedom.

Some people choose to play dumb when it comes to what Cuba really is (a Communist dictatorship hell hole) and what life is really like there for the average Cuban. I know the truth and weep for what Elian had taken away from him by the Clinton gang.

[PleaseNoMore]

Wow, your compassion for this child is overwhelming.

/sarcasm

[RMDupree]

Great post. Thank you.

I believe the crux of the problem is that some people cannot grasp the idea of being powerless against the government. Juan Miguel could do nothing except what he was told to do and say what he was told to say. So how can anyone state with certainty what his wishes were?

[ricpic]

Just thinking about Reno, that Clinton Frankenstein monster, makes my skin crawl.

[RMDupree]

Rutabega - my prayers are with you.

Not all child custody cases are black and white. In your case, from what you've stated, it is a disgrace that you are being forced back into a situation you clearly did not want to be in.

I wish I could do more, but prayer is all I can offer.

[RMDupree]

No updates. :(

But we knew that would happen.

[al_c]

FAMILY VALUES PING ! Elian is with his father- nuff said.

I'll second that. I don't care where the family is from ... the boy belongs with his father. Where the father chooses to raise him is up to him, and while he may not make the right choice, it's still his decision. Now before anyone says Castro made his decision for him, I ask this ... where was the gun to the father's head? I didn't see one.

[Rutabega]

Thank you very much! It has been about a month since I started thinking I was going back to Sweden, and am very scared about how I will live, etc, but the thought of being seperated from my baby is MUCH worse. I was tempted to write all of this a few weeks ago, and just thought it might be better to keep my own counsel and try to get my own positive energy working. But, I am getting a little more resigned, and just wanted to point out that the international custody things work out poorly with State Dept for Americans, too!
I appreciate the prayers--I need them, and am still thanking God I can read Free Republic in Sweden, too!

[PJ-Comix]

I know the truth and weep for what Elian had taken away from him by the Clinton gang.

And yet, ironically, it was because of Elian that Algore is now out in the political wilderness and NOT in the White House. The vote in Florida was so narrow (after the vote stealing by the Demmycrats) that if it had not been for the antagonism caused by Reno's raid on the Gonzalez home in Miami, Gore would have won Florida and the presidency. So Elian was really a Miracle Boy in more ways than one. Elian actually changed the whole course of history. (Just think what things would be like now with a PRESIDENT Algore!)

[RMDupree]

Every cloud does have a silver lining, PJ.

I shudder to think what the US would be like right now if Alligoraus had won Florida.

[RMDupree]

I ask this ... where was the gun to the father's head? I didn't see one.

Because it wasn't done in front of cameras doesn't mean it didn't happen. Lewinsky happened, even if nobody happened to catch it on tape.

Seriously though, the gun was probably to the head of the grandmothers back in Cuba. That is why they had to go back there before Juan Miguel could come here. The Cuban govt always keeps some leverage to avoid defections.

[PJ-Comix]

I shudder to think what the US would be like right now if Alligoraus had won Florida.

I'm hoping that one day Elian will return to America and tell Algore, "Do you know me? I'm the kid who kept you from becoming President."