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Opening Arguments

A bridge too far

A group of minority voters are becoming disenchanted with the political party they think is taking them for granted. No, not blacks and the Democratic Party. Cuban-Americans and the Republican Party:

"It was a total abuse, how all these Cubans were treated. They landed on our territory only so that we can send them back to hell," said Armando de Cristo, a city employee, 66, who fled Cuba 30 years ago.

I understand the distinction our immigration policy makes between those fleeing economic distress and those trying to escape political oppression -- the former face tough guidelines, the latter get cut a lot of slack. There are just too many poor nations, and we can't possibly take in all the refugees; but giving comfort to the victims of despots is a sensible foreign policy for a democratic republic.

But it's hard for most of us to understand the policy toward Cuban refugees. We detest Castro and consider his regime a totalitarian abomination, so we welcome all who escape him with open arms, yes? Not exactly. We put them through the "wet foot-dry foot" nonsense. If they touch dry land, they're in; if not, they get shipped back. And a bridge, apparently, doesn't count as dry land.

Incoherent is what it is, which is a good word for our entire policy toward Cuba. And don't even get me started on Elian Gonzalez.

Posted in: Current Affairs
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