Saul Landau
Since
last December, Elián Gonzalez, the 6-year-old Cuban refugee boy, has become for
those who love gossip about the living what Jon Benet Ramsey was for the morbid
Enquirer readers. Who killed Jon Benet remains a police issue. But the Elian
case is downright ideological because it involves the issue of freedom v.
so-called parental rights. Who should have custody over this boy who watched his
mother drown off the Florida coast late last year? His father, a dirty communist
in Cuba, or his freedom-loving relatives in free Miami?
US
officials went to Cuba and interviewed Elian’s father and found him to be a fit
parent. How could they possibly have concluded that a man committed to Fidel
Castro and his commie doctrine could be a fit father? How can you love your
little boy and say you’re a Marxist? Indeed, if freedom is our ultimate value,
how can Attorney Janet Reno hand this kid over to a commie tyrant? The boy is
obviously happy here. Look at the photos of him kicking a soccer ball near his
cute little house in Miami. He has posed with great-uncles Lázaro and Delfin
González and cousins Jose and Luis Cid, men who, judging from the photos,
obviously love him. So what that Uncle Lazaro has had four convictions for
driving under the influence during the 1990’s. Big deal that his license was
revoked or suspended for three years! He underwent treatment for his alcoholism
in July 1997. More importantly, Lazaro obviously believes in freedom — to drive
while drunk anyway.
Great
Uncle Delfin also pursued the freedom to drive while inebriated. But he paid the
price for it. He lost his license for two years. And only two of his four drunk
driving accidents involved property damage or personal injury. Last month,
cousin Jose, one of Lázaro and Delphin’s nephews, began serving a 13-year
sentence for grand theft, forgery and violating probation. His twin brother,
Luis Cid, goes on trial next week for robbing a tourist last year. Just because
his relatives have criminal records and drive while drunk doesn’t mean they
don’t love the kid. Loving the little boy is the opposite side of the hating
communism coin. Just compare the risk of Elian driving in a car with Uncles
Lazaro or Delfin, or accompanying one of his cousins on a second story job, when
they get out of prison, with the risk of sending him back to his Marxist father.
Elian’s
other great uncle, Manuel, has been barred from seeing the boy because he
believes the kid should go home. He’s a closet commy, say those who want Elian
to stay here. Who else would send a small boy back to Castro – who is obviously
going to control every thought of the boy, just as he controls every thought of
all residents of the island. The anti-Castro Cuban American National Foundation
CANF has dealt correctly with Elian’s trauma by buying him toys, a puppy, and
trips to Disney world. That’s the American way. What better treatment for a boy
who lost his mother than to shower him with all the wonderful things that makes
this country great?
CANF
has also organized press conferences for Elian. They encourage TV cameras to
park outside his house and take pictures of him playing with toys. Being on TV,
now that’s real freedom. That pinko Janet Reno says she plans to return the boy
to his father just because it’s the law and it would subvert our migration
Accord with Cuba and compromise the US position in almost 2,000 international
custody cases. What a sad comment on this Administration! Choosing law above
freedom!
On
the psychological plane, wrapping the kid in the US flag and drenching him in
Disney world and toys more than compensates for the absence of his law-abiding
and sober father, who suffers from the character defect of being a commy. Well,
given these facts, you decide!
Saul
Landau is the Hugh O. LaBounty Chair of Interdisciplinary Applied Knowledge at
California State Polytechnic University