Finally, Elian and his father have been "allowed" to return to their home in Cuba.
I say "allowed" because, not only should there have never been a question of what the right thing to do was, but it also exposes one of the sorriest, distracting and manipulative chapters in Amerikan Government/Media history.
Let's remember some facts:
Elian was kidnapped from his school by his mother and her gangster boyfriend in an attempt to "escape" from their homeland in a scheme that was dangerously under-financed by some of the most terroristic elements on this continent, the Cuban "exile" mafia, living right here in the good ole USA and who are supported by our Government.
After the first attempt failed due to a faulty motor, Elian was held captive for three days until a new motor for this home-made "craft" could be found.
They than set sail in a doomed from the beginning mission in this boat that was nothing more than pieces of aluminum that were soldered -- not welded -- into something resembling a dingy.
Of course, the "boat" was destroyed at sea and Elian watched as his mother, this vile creature who he trusted, who he didn't even realize put his life in danger for a failed and out-dated ideology, died.
And here is where the myth-making begins.
Elian was -- curiously -- "rescued" by a friend of his "family" in Miami, a man, we were told, who alone risked his own life and plunged into shark-infested waters to save the boy.
He just "happened" to be there?
Elian was "surrounded by dolphins, sent by gods' angels to protect the saviour that would liberate Cuba from the evil Castro."
All of which was refuted by the OTHER man aboard this rescue boat, a man who you were never introduced to by Peter Jennings, Dan Rather and Tom Brokaw.
You DID know there was another person on board this boat, didn't you?
Sorry.
Elian was than kidnapped again. By a "family" whose members had criminal records that would put some gang members to shame, by a cousin whose mental capacities would put most mothers in danger of losing their children to the state.
Imagine yourself, a nine year old boy who, in the course of a week was ripped from his father (who had custody,) had to endure three days of bondage, endure a wreck at sea, endure watching your Momma die and then endure being taken captive again and having a media circus envelope your confused life, surrounded by thugs, terrorists, mafioso and right-wing fanatics of more stripes than there are on a zebra.
And then, after months of being propagandized and brain washed at the hands of his "loving family", Elian was awaken in the middle of the night and forcibly removed by men with uniforms, black boots and gloves, masks and guns.
Some asked, "Why didn't the authorities immediately take him into custody and place him in foster care until he could be returned to his rightful parent and country? Why did it have to get to this?"
Why? Well, you can't float trial-balloons when you take into account the best interests and welfare of one small child who just provided you with a perfect opportunity to test the Amerikan people.
Our police state needed a situation in which they could mend their broken image with the public and at the same time, find out how much we'd put up with.
They needed to see if they could burst into a home without showing a warrant and take who ever and whatever they wanted.
Now, we already should know that people of color in this country put up with this all the time. Well, they don't put up with it, but YOU would never know that, as their voices are marginilized. What they needed to find out was, after Ruby Ridge and Waco, they could once again induce white Amerika to put up with it.
Do you not find it curious that all this was going on at the same time questions were finally being raised about Waco? At the same time that one of the leading critics of the governments actions there, who claimed to have prove that the government was lying, was suddenly and mysteriously...oops...found dead before he could present his evidence?
And we passed our test with flying colors. Polls showed that, instead of thinking about what was REALLY going on, the vast majority of people supported this state oppression.
And we, in our arrogance, say Cuba lives under "State Oppression."
And all we needed to accomplish this was the terrorizing of a child. Small price to pay.