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.

[RMDupree]

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."

LOL!!!

From your lips to God's ears. That would be wonderful!

[RMDupree]

Maybe you can try to secure a job within the US Consulate's office. If not, darn them all and start a small child care service in your home. :)

[RMDupree]

What did he/she say?

I couldn't hear them over the beating of their chests. LOL!!

It's amazing to see how people have no sympathy for an innocent kid.

[hchutch]

Agreed.

Of course, Michelle Malkin was all for sending Elian back.

http://www.townhall.com/columnists/michellemalkin/mm000419.shtml

Sorry, but I lost most of my respoect for her after that column. Elian's father had a gun to his head and everyone KNEW it. The appropriate reponse to Castro's demand was to tell him where he could go.

[PJ-Comix]

Algore is in such a funk right now that he actually bought a house in Tennessee to live in that looks like the White House in D.C.. Thank you, Elian, for making it possible for Algore to live only in a fake White House and not the real thing.

[hchutch]

Damn straight.

If, that is, he hasn't been brainwashed by Castro. Believe me, I've had issue with not only Clinton-Gore-Reno for sending him back, but people like Michelle Malkin who wouldn't stick up for Elian.

I have more respect for Howard Stern than Michelle Malkin.

http://www.townhall.com/columnists/michellemalkin/mm000419.shtml

[RMDupree]

The Best Little White House in Tennessee!

Truly pathetic. Have his books disappeared off Amazon's charts yet?

Maybe he should write for Salon.com. ;)

[PJ-Comix]

Truly pathetic. Have his books disappeared off Amazon's charts yet?

I don't know but I will be looking for them in a couple of weeks at the Dollar Store.

[RMDupree]

BTW, thank you for posting this.

[RMDupree]

I don't know but I will be looking for them in a couple of weeks at the Dollar Store.

Tee hee! Tell me you won't waste a perfectly good dollar on it!! A pack of gum is a better investment.

[PJ-Comix]

. I have more respect for Howard Stern than Michelle Malkin.

Ahh, Michelle Malkin....The HOTTEST looking writing babe out there. I don't care what she says/writes. I just LOVE looking at her.

[breakem]

You are interupting the Elian cult meeting. Next we'll have a proposal to make his birthday a national holiday.

Look at all the comments that he won the election for Bush. Guess everyone forgot about the 90,000 votes to Nader, most of which would have been democrats if he hadn't run.

I agree with you, the father had several chances to run in the states and while on camera to boot.

Some of his relatives were still in Cuba, but he made his choice.

Another technique of the cultist here is to call Castro the kids father. Shall we ask for a DNA test.

Lastly, however illegal or heavy handed the raid, the end result is those people in Miami had no standing to keep the kid, the kid was too young to make his own case, and he is with his father.

[hchutch]

I'd prefer Jennifer Love Hewitt, Britney Spears, or Christina Aguilera, to be honest.

[hchutch]

Yeah, sure, with serious repurcussions for any family members who were still in Cuba.

One does not cross Fidel Castro in Cuba without paying a price - and there are many here who could have said that.

[RMDupree]

Lastly, however illegal or heavy handed the raid, the end result is those people in Miami had no standing to keep the kid, the kid was too young to make his own case, and he is with his father.

Nice to know the ends justified the means. *shaking head*

Juan Miguel had NO chance to run and where would he run to? Clinton himself wouldn't help him, so who could?

[hchutch]

I recall reading somewhere - it might be from Judicial Watch, but I'm not sure - that Juan Miguel ASKED to stay here and Janet Reno said no. Which indicates that the public statements were made under coercion of some stripe.

[MEGoody]

Little Elian's situation was not an easy one. On the one hand, we'd all have loved for him to stay here in America and grow up free. On the other hand, the child's mother had recently died, and it would seem to me that it would be better for him to be with his dad than living with relatives he had not known. (And frankly, relatives that didn't seem all that mentally stable themselves.) I know we all hate Castro's regime, but a little boy doesn't know from regime - he just knows he wants his daddy.

[breakem]

Many families have fled and left some behind. This case was very high publicity. The father had some ace cards. He made his own decision regardless of the pressures. In the end, he grabbed the kid and walked up thestairs and boarded the plane. Others have made different decisions. This is not outside the realm of human behavior.

[breakem]

I never said the end justifies the means. I tried to present a factual statement including the fact that the family had no standing to decide for the kid. Not here to justify Reno's career.

Many families have fled and left some behind. This case was very high publicity. The father had some ace cards. He made his own decision regardless of the pressures. In the end, he grabbed the kid and walked up thestairs and boarded the plane. Others have made different decisions. This is not outside the realm of human behavior.

[breakem]

PS: regarding your statement "no chance to run." He was in public several times on camera. What were the they going to do shoot him in front of the rest of the world. And even Clinton could not overcome the publicity of letting this guy be dragged in front of the media.

The father had leverage and he chose not to use it.