> >Elian & El Duque: Where is Black Leadership? > Fri, 4 Feb 2000 01:45:36 -0500 > > > >Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit > > >Elian's Tragedy and the Traiterous Behavior of El Duke > >By Dr. Alberto Jones >[EMAIL PROTECTED] >Afrocubaweb > >During the summer of 1966, as a student in Germany, I went >through my life most revolting experience, when I visited >Buchenwald, one of Nazi Germany best known concentration >camp. Without ever being there, seeing the ovens, the human >skin lamp shades, the films, it would not be possible to >fully capture the bestiality in many of us. > >But most difficult to understand was that this extermination >complex was located a few miles from Weimer, the highly >educated, cultural center of Germany, where the cream >of that society, took part regularly in music or arts >festivals, pretending nothing was wrong or intentionally >remaining silent, sanctifying such heinous deed. > >Millions of people paid the ultimate price, because of our >complacency, lack of courage or complicity. Sixty years >after, it appears we have learned very little from this >tragedy or as it was then, we are too busy, too selfish >to care about the suffering of others. > >The tragic events surrounding 6 year old Elian Gonzalez, >who was found Thanksgiving day clinging to an inner tube >off the shores of south Florida after the drowning death >of his mother and 9 others involved in an ill fated, alien >smuggling attempt, have shocked the conscience of millions >of people around the world. > >This child, who may have suffered permanent psychological >trauma and more physical pain than most of us in our >lifetime, continue to be forcibly retained in a foreign >environment, surrounded by people he has never seen before, >turned into a celebrity and plunged into a media frenzy by >the heartless, vengeful, ultra-right-wing Cuban American >pseudo-politicians in Miami and New Jersey. > >In order to explain their absurd position, they are >presenting the most bizarre, baseless arguments; as they >perceive the well being of the child in direct relation with >the availability of Nintendo, Tommy's or McDonalds, creating >an artificial "Dream World" around him, which incidentally, >does not apply to hundreds of other Cubans, Haitians, Afro >Americans or poor Anglo children in Miami and every other >city in this country. > >But what makes this action more despicable, is that they >are knowingly, systematically applying against this innocent >child, well established and universally accepted theories of >"Conditioned Reflexes", which was demonstrated many years >ago by Pavlov and others. > >By showering this child with an ample variety of foods, >garments, toys, Disney World etc., they are imprinting in >his young brain a world he will no longer have, as soon as >he is returned to his father, creating a vacuum that will be >replaced by withdrawal, anxiety, depression, or a socially >unfit time bomb, capable of going off any time. > >Having been in this world for much longer than I would like >to accept, I have experienced first hand, the brutality, >cruelty, visciousness that humans are capable of exhibiting. >But for the most time, we expect to see these subhuman >behavior associated with civil unrest or other types of >deranged environment, that may explain in part, such actions. > >But to do that in cold blood to a fragile, timid, scarred >child, is beyond all humanoid classification of these >barbarian disguised as teachers, mothers, politicians, >pediatricians, psychologists, sociologists and even clergy! > >As an Afro Cuban, I am deeply troubled by the casual >reporting or limited coverage of this horrendous human >experience in the Black media. With few exceptions, >prominent leaders with the moral standing capable of >expressing their disgust, have been conspicuously silent. > >But above and beyond the morality of this issue, no other >racial/ethnic group in the world, should be more sensitive >to any perception of forcefully restraining and separating >family members, base upon our own tragic experience, in >which, family members were separated and dispersed >throughout this hemisphere. > >It must be emphasized also, that what is being done to this >defenseless child by the Cuban American community in Miami, >is nothing more than a rehash of what they did to the native >community in Latin America as of 1492, to the African slaves >as of 1512, to the Afro Cuban community until 1959 in Cuba >and to the Afro American community in South Florida since >1960, which they have effectively decimated. > >But if all of the above is nauseating, repugnant; the >spectacle of watching the Three Kings Parade in Miami, >in which, New York Yankee Afro Cuban Pitcher "El Duke" >Hernandez was the Grand Marshall of this event, is probably, >the greatest offense in my lifetime, to every person of >African ancestry. > >This individual, through his irresponsible action, has >tried to obscure or ignore the horrendous racism, ignorance, >poverty, hunger and the deaths of thousands of children >through preventible causes inflicted on our people by these >criminals when they owned the lives and property in Cuba. > >This traitor cannot deny that if he did not feel it himself, >he never heard from his parents, neighbors, how it was and >what these people did to us. > >These Miami, Cuban-Americans, rightfully driven out of >Cuba FOREVER, were the enforcers and perpetrators of our >29% illiteracy rate, 24% infant mortality, segregated >neighborhoods, beaches, clubs. Forced us to live in huts >without electricity, running water, sewer, no jobs, and >openly prohibited us to work in department stores, banks, >office settings or even drive a provincial bus. > >These are the same individuals that forced Nat King Cole, >Josephine Baker and other luminaries, to use the kitchen >door in order to enter the night club where they were to >perform. These are the same individuals that bragged that >their puppet President Batista, was denied entry in the >Havana Yatch Club. > >These are the same individuals, that when beaches and clubs >were integrated in Cuba in 1960, they UNANIMOUSLY refused to >enter to these places and renamed them SOLOVANNICHE. Later, >we were able to unscramble this as SOLO VAN NICHE or ONLY >WHERE NIGGERS GO! > >But what makes more blatant, offensive and painful the >irresponsible behavior of "El Duque" is the extensive >and proud history of Black Cubans, who since the Ladder >Conspiracy against slavery have crafted one of the most >dignified, honorable and heroic history in this hemisphere. > >No Afro Cuban can ever forgive the affront to the memory >of Antonio Maceo, Guillermon Moncada or Quintin Banderas. >Mariana Grajales, the Black mother of the Cuban Nation, >who gave the lives of 9 members of her family in the war >of independence, may have cried for the first time in her >life, to know, that such a THING, could be one of us! > >But his indignity has no parallel. Made drunk by the few >millions paid to him by his team owners, he feels compelled >to be on his knees, to accept his self inflicted inferiority, >to forgive and forget our history. > >Jesus Menendez, the sugar industry union leader, with >approximately the same or less level of education than this >other Personality, but with an absolute sense of dignity, >self respect and love for his nation, was called to the >White House, -- not for the 6 million that is paid to "El >Duque" -- he was handed a blank, signed, Federal Check for >him to fill out and stop the strike in Cuba. He refused the >check, returned to Cuba and under orders "from above" was >shot as he detrained in the station in Mazanillo. > >Jesus Menendez is another of the endless list of Afro Cubans >heros who Cubans respect, admire and imitates on a daily >basis. "El Duque" will be remembered by the Cubans for >opposite reasons! > >I am forced to admit, that the actions of "El Duque" Hernandez, >have created in me the same revolting experience as the one I >experienced in Buchenwald 35 years ago and never thought I >would ever have to relive! > > >Dr. Alberto Jones is a member of the West Indian Welfare >Society in the city of Guantanamo, Cuba who now resides in >northern Florida. He is an activist with strong communal >ties to his homeland, Cuba, and is the director of the >Caribbean American Children's Foundation as well as a >director of the Cuban American Alliance Education Fund. > >Copyright (c) 2000 AfroCubaWeb. > >-30- > >AfroCubaWeb >Box 1054 >Arlington, MA 02474 >[EMAIL PROTECTED] >http://www.afrocubaweb.com > > >================================================================= > NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems > Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us > 339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 > http://www.blythe.org e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >================================================================= > >nytrc-02.04.00-01:45:27-31054 > >------------------------------------------------------------------------ >Cuba SI: http://www.egroups.com/group/cubasi/ >Imperialism NO! Venceramos! >Information and discussion about Cuba. >Discussion of the path of Ernesto Che Guevara. > >------------------------------------------------------------------------ >Finding a sweetheart is hard work. Shopping for one shouldn't be. >Click here for Valentine Surprises! >http://click.egroups.com/1/1181/0/_/30563/_/949646843/ > >-- Talk to your group with your own voice! >-- http://www.egroups.com/VoiceChatPage?listName=cubasi&m=1 > > __________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi ___________________________________ [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe/unsubscribe messages mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ___________________________________
