This article was published in The American Thinker
Ted
Cruz's victory in Texas, as well as the success of Marco Rubio, put
Cuban-Americans on the front page of American politics. These wins also
give us an opportunity to craft a message to Hispanics -- a message
that emphasizes individual freedom, self-reliance, a skepticism of the
state, and the value of family in our culture.
We
hear it over and over again that Cuban-Americans are different. We are
often called the "other" Hispanics. The media calls us "reactionaries"
or "right-wingers" or makes fun of our disdain for communism.
In
fact, Cuban-Americans are the Hispanic group that best understands
freedom and liberty. We lost both under the banner of "change" and
another charlatan preaching "social justice" years ago.
As my mother said: "We saw this movie before, and it did not end well."
In
the late 1950s, Cuba was a prosperous island struggling with political
problems. Most Cubans wanted change in 1959, and they were seduced by
"the magic orator," or the guy who told everyone what he or she wanted
to hear. Like with Hitler in Germany, Castro's master plan did not
include pluralism or a society where dissent was tolerated.
"Change" led
to a brutal communist dictatorship that put one Cuban against another.
It put children against parents, especially after the state
started communist indoctrination programs in schools. It led to the
closing of religious schools and the expulsion of priests and nuns. The
state also closed newspapers and intentionally broke up families.
Class warfare became the language of the government, and employers were
demonized for not paying their fair share or doing their part. Private
medicine was replaced by something called "free health care for all,"
and the result was that things got worse, not better.
In
less than three years, Cuba was destroyed and turned into a prison. It
went from the lovely island that our parents grew up in to a place that
they didn't recognize. Some of us were lucky to escape, but others
were executed in brutal concentration camps that still exist today.
Cubans have great stories of freedom and standing up to communism.
There is the story of "Pedro Pan,"
or the largest exodus of children ever. In the 1960s, thousands of
Cuban parents put their Cuban children on planes to protect them from
communism. You can read about this in Dr. Carlos Eire's incredible
books: Waiting for snow in Havana & Learning to die in Miami.
We thank God every day for Father Walsh and those beautiful nuns who welcomed the kids at the airport and became "our American mothers" until our parents joined us later.
We thank God every day for Father Walsh and those beautiful nuns who welcomed the kids at the airport and became "our American mothers" until our parents joined us later.
It
was a nightmare that most of our parents would rather forget, but they
know better than to allow us to do that. It also opened our eyes to
basic things, such as the rule of law and the importance of a
constitution.
As
one of "the kids" who grew up in the U.S., I heard the Cuban story
daily in our home. I recall the stories of political prisons; my dad's
cousin spent fourteen years in one without a trial. I heard about the
repression of having the state run your life. It also gave me a firm
commitment to and love for the American way of life that my parents
found in the U.S.
Again,
we see an administration trying to divide one group against another.
Black versus white. Employer versus employee. We hear a leader lying
about health care and refusing to say that it is unsustainable.
This is why so many Cuban-Americans are opposed to Pres. BO wanting to transform the U.S. into something that the U.S. is not.
This
is why Cuban-Americans must be the ones who stand up to the lies from
the left.
We hope that Marco Rubio, and now Ted Cruz, will lead the way
and remind Hispanics that the beauty of the U.S. is still "life,
liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."
P.S. Speaking of communism, check out my chat with Dr Ileana Johnson, originally from Romania. She is my "anti-communist soul-mate" on the radio & author of "Echoes of communism", her story of growing up in a communist state. You may want to give a copy of Dr Johnson's book to your son or daughter going off to college:
Listen to internet radio with Silvio Canto Jr on Blog Talk Radio
Tags: Cuban Americans
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