Oh, No, Not Again: Elian Redux

We're in for it now, both CNN and Fox News have picked up the story of the little girl. I have no pony in this race, although the father seeking custody was reportedly abusive to the abusive herself mother who now wants to return to Cuba. I have no idea.

More importantly, the American public has even less. All they know is how they would feel if one of their children were taken away. They've never been put in the position of the mothers before Solomon. So what do they see? They see Cuban-flag waving exiles who would break up the most sacred of bonds over politics, screaming and carrying on in the streets in a most unAmerican way. Not my opinion. That's how they see it.

We have to be very careful, my friends. This is a Raulian trap. The plummeting perception of Cuban Americans can be dated to the Elian affair. All the goodwill we had garnered over decades being the good little Hispanics was lost in a manner of weeks. We cannot afford to lose any more credibility, unless of course, we want to go down in a grand quixotic gesture. If we want to have any hope of influencing the new Cuba policy, and I'm pretty sure there will be one, we need to be smart.

If this goes as I suspect it will, let's express our displeasure by making it known to our representatives, to our senators, etc... We still have some sway with them. I would discourage demonstrations, save that for the Fidel is Dead as a Doornail party. But if you feel you must, make sure you have lots and lots of American Flags on hand, else we remind them of the illegal immigrant demonstrations.

What we have here, folks, is a perfect political storm in the making. The juncture of the fifth column agenda, rabid xenophobia, and the tinderbox of the residual Elian hard feelings. We need to be careful.