OT: Excuse me, but there are NO similarities between the Gestapo and what the INS did.
I completely disagree, Sam. The warrant was for Elian's "arrest", he being considered an illegal alien. However, he was not read his miranda rights, nor was he placed in the custody of federal officials pending deportation to Cuba (which they could not due without due process of the law). Instead, he was placed in seclusion with a father who waited 4 months before traveling to the US to make a custodial claim under circumstance that many perceive as quite politically motivated by the Castro regime.
But what is worse is that the "arrest warrant" was obtained in bad faith, through an accomodative magistrate who circumvented the jurisdiction of the 11th district court of appeals, and while negotiations were ongoing.
But what is particularly galling is that in taking such aggressive action, they RECKLESSLY placed this boy at great risk. I don't know about you, but I'm not particularly inclined to have a positive disposition in the wee hours of the morning, and sudden attacks from unknown assailants would probably have me wake up swinging, or at least less than hospitable.
You claim that this is the "right thing to do" returning Elian to his father. But who are YOU, or anyone else outside of the judicial system, to claim the right to make that decision? The system exists to protect the rights of EVERYONE, including Elian Gonzalez. Elian's rights were violated, his life placed at risk, and he has been denied access to the very people who have personally cared for him over the past 5 months.
That boy was not a prisoner of his Miami relatives. They were given direct LEGAL custody of the child back in November when it was clear the father would not travel to the US to claim him. And for the Clintonista administration to subvert and warp the legal system in order to play politics with the boy life and his civil rights is despicable. (ask Greg Craig, Clinton's impeachment lawyer, why he is the one who is representing the father? And ask him if has registered as a foreign agent).
People are asserting the "unwashed" purity of the father's custodial claims on his boy, but fail to see the serious motivation he has for personal gain in Castro's Cuba and the rewards he would reap for returning Elian to Cuba, although he divorced Elian's mother before the boy was even born.
And people are walking all over Elian's rights to decide his own future. 12 years from now, if Castro's regime has not fallen, he will not have the freedom to immigrate back to the US. However, he ALWAYS has the freedom to return to Cuba anytime HE decides (Castro being willing to permit it).
He should be given proper guidance so that he understands what lies in store for him in Cuba. Anything less than objectively informing him of what to expect is a disservice to him.
Again, we should not ignore the personal incentive that J.M. Gonzalez has in securing the return of his son Elian and securing a political victory for Castro.
If he had cared so much he would have been over here back in November. But then again, he probably didn't have much of a choice in deciding what to do.
And if he didn't have a choice then, what guarantee can we have that he will be able to insure the proper treatment for his child. After all, the Cuban interests section here in DC has already stated that Elian belongs to Cuba, not his father.
Is his father merely a transitional custodial "vessel" tasked with returning Elian to ultimate custody of the Cuban state?
Regards,
Ron |
