One may think that Cuba has the same familiar relationships and licit authority that we have come to take for granted, but they do not, so to believe that child was physically returned to his father is erroneous.

No offense, but as a conservative, the understanding that the above statement is a fundamental principle of communist and socialist societies is critical to understanding the real choice presented to any legal authority, state or federal, in the US. The real choice was between keeping the child with relatives in America who could establish some legal right to custodianship, and sending him to Castro. So the concept that the child was being returned to his father as a legal guardian is false. The father does not possess that legal right in Cuba. The child was sent to Castro, not the father.

Your argument would hold water with most any other situation or country, but not with Cuba.

My point that the kid belonged with his father and not the Miami relatives still stands, regardless of who has “legal” custody of him once he got to Cuba. – Admin

During the year 2000, I joined my fellow Americans in watching the drama that centered on a six-year-old Cuban boy named Elían. The boy was the rope in game of tug-of-war carried on by two groups of people. One group…

This was one of the few times that I supported an action by Clinton, although I wish the family had not been so intransigent as to make such an ugly scene possible.

It is foolish to consider politics over the very natural and basic consideration of family.

The action is one of a very few that Clinton took with which I agree. I am aware that he acted out of political consideration (polls) and not from a sense of basic morality but the outcome was no less just.

Richard

It is easier to demonize the father by way of Cuban Communism than see that this mother was wrong for taking that child from his father. By such logic, a mother, regardless of where she lives, can simply take her children and leave if she feels that she is being oppressed or doesn’t like where she is living, no matter what her husband and/or father of her children wants. As much as I don’t like the circumstances in which this occured, I must agree that this child should have gone back to his father, political pawn or not.

Like yr blog very much but i don’t think you understand that not only was Elian not brought up primarily by his birth father, but the man delayed MONTHS in making a claim.
If it had been my child I would have been on the first plane to Miami.
Yes, the Cuban-American relatives in Miami were over the top and embarrassing (to many Latinos as well). But bad taste is not a parental sin. Yes, not attempting to get in touch, writing, or trying to find out about how Elian was doing was far less embarrassing than the melodramatics from the Miami relatives – but their heart was in the right place. I cannot feel the same about the father, and feel that his claim was a result of manipulation by Castro. If not why the delay ?- again it was not days nor weeks but MONTHS before Juan Gonzalez “spoke up.”

Typing that must have hurt! ; ) ~

Janet Reno was one of the worst Attorney Generals of all time.

Both conservative and liberal press distorted facts.

Concerning “States Rights” – if there ever was a case for the Federal courts, this was it. This is a Constitutional role of the Federal Government.

Time to “move on” to more current issues -

like “hate speech” against new Pope because he believes there are some “absolute truths” and “right and wrong”.

DON:
Elian Gonzales: apples
Teri Schiavo: oranges