President Obama landing in Cuba: Exhilirating!!
I just got finished watching CNN coverage of President and Mrs. Obama and their beautiful daughters landing in Cuba. It is the first time that a sitting U.S. President has visited this tiny Caribbean country in over 60 years. It is a Communist country that has been ruled by Fidel and Raul Castro for almost 60 years. This kind of rule would be unheard of in our country. In fact, the Republicans are so upset about the process of a new Supreme Court Justice that they are willing to wait a mere 9 months for the potential of a new President. We think other countries are backwards sometimes. Cuba is ready for a relationship with the U.S. and the rain that greeted our delegation portends beautiful things.
The U.S. severed diplomatic relations with Cuba back in 1961. They feared the revolution that Fidel Castro led at the time. When I was younger, the Bay of Pigs, and its ramifications was a reason to loathe this country. According to Wikipedia, the Bay of Pigs invasion was a failed military coup intended to overthrow Mr. Castro. He had deposed Fulgencio Batista who was an ally of the U.S. In retrospect, I remember Oliver North invading Grenada without the hint of resistance. In Cuba, massive firepower at the time could not overthrow this small country's forces. President John F. Kennedy, had to surrender this overthrow attempt.
I encapsulated all of the events that led to the Bay of Pigs and the failed Cuban missile crisis. We have had embargos against this country for years. We have had a tenuous relationship with Cubans and immigration due to the proximity of this nation to our Southeastern coast. A number of Cuban refugees just died trying to get to our shore. The ones who make it to the shore are sometimes assured asylum. I wonder why Elian Gonzalez was captured and taken back to Cuba. There have been some purported human rights abuses committed in this country. In the U.S. our vice is called gun violence and it kills more people per year than some wars.
One reason for excitement by the visit of the First Family and prominent officials is baseball. Believe it or not, baseball players that have pro potential risk life and limb to leave Cuba for untold riches in the U.S. Jose Abreu, Daniel Carbonell and Yenier Bello are just a few of the players who defected in order to test the Major Leagues. I remember Teofilo Stevenson as a major force in boxing for Cuba. Their Olympic athletes were disciplined and unforgiving. The President is supposed to attend a game while he is there. Major league executives are chomping at the bit for a chance to tap into the proposed talent pipeline legally.
Jay Z and Beyoncé took a trip to Cuba either last year or in 2014. This pissed some people like Chris Christie off. Cuba has provided safe haven for some Black Panthers who escaped to the island for safe haven after experiencing extreme racism and violence here. Based on the amount of citizens killed by police last year, maybe the murder of a policeman by Assata Shakur needs to be looked at objectively. Black Panthers were murdered in Chicago and Oakland and who was bought to justice for these acts?
I know there are some diplomatic objectives for the visit by the POTUS. Normalizing relations with a Communist neighbor seem unprecedented. I know that the island has a rich cultural heritage. The Buena Vista Social Club was a movie that exposed me to the many similarities that African Americans and Cuban have in musical taste. I hope that the U.S. can help to improve infrastructure and health in this country. Let's not try to impose our values on this sovereign nation. I haven't heard too many critical opinions about this trip. WWDTT? (What would Donald Trump think?) Who cares!! Safe travels and I look forward to the results of this trip. I would love to visit this country one day.
The U.S. severed diplomatic relations with Cuba back in 1961. They feared the revolution that Fidel Castro led at the time. When I was younger, the Bay of Pigs, and its ramifications was a reason to loathe this country. According to Wikipedia, the Bay of Pigs invasion was a failed military coup intended to overthrow Mr. Castro. He had deposed Fulgencio Batista who was an ally of the U.S. In retrospect, I remember Oliver North invading Grenada without the hint of resistance. In Cuba, massive firepower at the time could not overthrow this small country's forces. President John F. Kennedy, had to surrender this overthrow attempt.
I encapsulated all of the events that led to the Bay of Pigs and the failed Cuban missile crisis. We have had embargos against this country for years. We have had a tenuous relationship with Cubans and immigration due to the proximity of this nation to our Southeastern coast. A number of Cuban refugees just died trying to get to our shore. The ones who make it to the shore are sometimes assured asylum. I wonder why Elian Gonzalez was captured and taken back to Cuba. There have been some purported human rights abuses committed in this country. In the U.S. our vice is called gun violence and it kills more people per year than some wars.
One reason for excitement by the visit of the First Family and prominent officials is baseball. Believe it or not, baseball players that have pro potential risk life and limb to leave Cuba for untold riches in the U.S. Jose Abreu, Daniel Carbonell and Yenier Bello are just a few of the players who defected in order to test the Major Leagues. I remember Teofilo Stevenson as a major force in boxing for Cuba. Their Olympic athletes were disciplined and unforgiving. The President is supposed to attend a game while he is there. Major league executives are chomping at the bit for a chance to tap into the proposed talent pipeline legally.
Jay Z and Beyoncé took a trip to Cuba either last year or in 2014. This pissed some people like Chris Christie off. Cuba has provided safe haven for some Black Panthers who escaped to the island for safe haven after experiencing extreme racism and violence here. Based on the amount of citizens killed by police last year, maybe the murder of a policeman by Assata Shakur needs to be looked at objectively. Black Panthers were murdered in Chicago and Oakland and who was bought to justice for these acts?
I know there are some diplomatic objectives for the visit by the POTUS. Normalizing relations with a Communist neighbor seem unprecedented. I know that the island has a rich cultural heritage. The Buena Vista Social Club was a movie that exposed me to the many similarities that African Americans and Cuban have in musical taste. I hope that the U.S. can help to improve infrastructure and health in this country. Let's not try to impose our values on this sovereign nation. I haven't heard too many critical opinions about this trip. WWDTT? (What would Donald Trump think?) Who cares!! Safe travels and I look forward to the results of this trip. I would love to visit this country one day.
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