Demand that Congress listen
To the editor:
It is troubling to me that we know so little about our government. It is even more troubling that we often don’t get the full truth from our government as it proclaims to be something it is not.
Cuba’s revolutionary activist and independence advocate Jose Marti recommended his country void annexation by the United States and “avoid the U.S. at all cost, I know this monster, because I have lived in its lair.”
Most Americans know nothing about the Helms-Burton Bill. It asserts the U.S. right to define Cuba’s democracy. It extends far more into the sovereign right of Cuba than Platt or Torricelli, and gives Congress final authority. This was warmly supported by C.A.N.F., and call The Cuba Liberty, Democratic and Solidarity Act.
So, we show Cuba how corrupt, criminal, brutal and oppressive we are. They asked us for help when they needed it and wanted peace. We refused them. Then we responded with coercion, intimidation, sabotage, military aggression, attempted assassination, and embargo when they sought help some place else.
There are many examples to illustrate this but let’s just look at the Granada saga.
Cuba agrees to help Granada build an airport provides construction workers and machinery. This causes anxiety for the U.S. Our Secretary of State responses “turn that island into a parking lot/”
The United States invades Grenada killing 24 construction workers and injuring 57. They were defending themselves with small arms against the invasion force. The leader of Granada and his cabinet were also killed. America was told Cuba was building a military base on the island.
This was not true.
This type of incident has occurred repeatedly in other countries of Central America, Caribbean and other South American countries.
We love our country and sometimes refused to question, but we must realize that this is our responsibility.
Congress is debating if it should lift the embargo against Cuba. Congress should know what America thinks but Congress acts as if we do not exist.
We are responsible and we must take that responsibility to tell Congress it must respond to us.
Lewis Robinson
Fort Myers