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IIRC, that was as much a child custody issue as an escape from Cuba. He was a little kid, on a boat with his divorced mom headed to Florida. The boat sank, mom dies he was saved. His mom's brother got him. The dad still in Cuba had a right to his child and wanted him back. Then the fight started.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TMSRetired
His father wanted him back. Sending him back was the right thing to do.
I lived in south Florida during that time.
His father was a communist and in favor with Castro. The mother had the right idea, and how much do you want to bet Elian would have had a better life here than in Cuba?
Other than some tourist areas, most of the people live in squaller like other 3rd world counties run by communist despots.
Those that don't believe it since Democrat politicians and leftist Hollywood fools think it is so nice there with better medical care than we have, take a gander at this video showing what it is really like. It starts out in the first 40 seconds showing the few Tourist areas that don't look that bad, but then the walking tour of the rest of Cuba shows the dirty underbelly of how the people live;
How is Elian’s plight any different than the millions of “immigrant” children who were allowed into the U.S. under various claims during the Obama administration? No, this is just typical Progressive hypocrisy.
BTW, Google has almost succeeded in removing that photo from the search inquiries of the ICE agent pointing a gun at Elian during the midnight raid ordered by Janet Reno. George Orwell would be so proud!
Elian had a father in Cuba who wanted him back. Like it or not, the father had custodial rights to the child. I lived in Miami at the time this occurred, and what's been lost in history, apparently, was the highly emotional political football this thing became. As has been mentioned, Elian's relatives ( aunt, uncle, cousins) who lived in Miami basically kidnapped the child and the Cuban American politicians, neighbors and other residents around essentially built a fortress around the kid, inflicted psychological, highly emotional and physical measures to keep the kid with his relatives in Miami even threatening violence and doing whatever it took to prevent him from being returned to his father ( that would be returning him to Castro, they said). Seemed they were willing to use guerilla tactics, force, whatever it took to ensure Elian would " live in freedom". As I recall, most of the Cuban American politicians around looked at this incident as a way to poke their nemesis, Fidel Castro in the eye and find favor with their Cuban American constituents, more so, IMO, than really caring all that much about the little boy.
IIRC, after a number of attempts to negotiate Elian's return to his father in Cuba after his mother died on their way to Florida, Janet Reno/feds determined the best way to accomplish this was to essentially to use the element of surprise, have the FBI, armed to the hilt, get into the house and take the kid away from his relatives. They had a plane ready to take the kid back to his father. That iconic picture ( which made its way through the community, and the country from there, plastered all over the local news media which was highly sympathetic to the cause of Elian "living in freedom" with "his loving family" never mind he had a loving father who wanted him) was a screen shot of the FBI searching the house, weapons drawn, looking for Elian in a highly charged atmosphere where it was reported that there were militant Cuban compatriots there armed to the teeth and willing to take out anyone who tried to get Elian away from his relatives in Miami. They found Elian with his uncle, others hiding in a closet, and hence the screenshot of the agent holding the gun, aimed towards the group in the closet. The picture also captured the terrified look on Elian's face- who wouldn't be terrified under those circumstances? In any case, the element of surprise worked, they were able to get Elian away from his relatives and back to his father in a very short period of time, and without anyone getting hurt or killed, which the feds feared might well happen with any announced attempt on their part to accomplish this.
I recall thinking at the time that had the democrats not been in power ( Bill Clinton was the president at the time), the feds would not have gone to such lengths to return Elian back to his father. The GOP ( think George Bush and company) were highly sympathetic to the anti-Castro cause and with their Cuban American constituents. Though IMO this should have been a non-partisan issue as the right thing to do, regardless of one's own personal beliefs about returning a child to a parent ready and willing to love and provide for him, versus returning a child to a country run by a totalitarian regime.
I remember the story differently. Elian's father had remarried and had a new family and was initially willing to let the boy remain in Florida with his uncle's family. Elian hadn't been seeing that much of his father although he admitted at one point that he was aware of plans by his ex-wife to leave Cuba with the boy.
Then Castro decided that images of a happy little Cuban boy living the good life in Florida, being treated well, going to Disney and other attractions wasn't good PR. He told Elian's father to ask for his return.
That's the Cuban American spin version of the story. To many of those folks, it was more about Castro and much less about Elian and his father. I lived in Miami at the time, and it was obvious.
Elian had a father in Cuba who wanted him back. Like it or not, the father had custodial rights to the child. I lived in Miami at the time this occurred, and what's been lost in history, apparently, was the highly emotional political football this thing became. As has been mentioned, Elian's relatives ( aunt, uncle, cousins) who lived in Miami basically kidnapped the child and the Cuban American politicians, neighbors and other residents around essentially built a fortress around the kid, inflicted psychological, highly emotional and physical measures to keep the kid with his relatives in Miami even threatening violence and doing whatever it took to prevent him from being returned to his father ( that would be returning him to Castro, they said). Seemed they were willing to use guerilla tactics, force, whatever it took to ensure Elian would " live in freedom". As I recall, most of the Cuban American politicians around looked at this incident as a way to poke their nemesis, Fidel Castro in the eye and find favor with their Cuban American constituents, more so, IMO, than really caring all that much about the little boy.
IIRC, after a number of attempts to negotiate Elian's return to his father in Cuba after his mother died on their way to Florida, Janet Reno/feds determined the best way to accomplish this was to essentially to use the element of surprise, have the FBI, armed to the hilt, get into the house and take the kid away from his relatives. They had a plane ready to take the kid back to his father. That iconic picture ( which made its way through the community, and the country from there, plastered all over the local news media which was highly sympathetic to the cause of Elian "living in freedom" with "his loving family" never mind he had a loving father who wanted him) was a screen shot of the FBI searching the house, weapons drawn, looking for Elian in a highly charged atmosphere where it was reported that there were militant Cuban compatriots there armed to the teeth and willing to take out anyone who tried to get Elian away from his relatives in Miami. They found Elian with his uncle, others hiding in a closet, and hence the screenshot of the agent holding the gun, aimed towards the group in the closet. The picture also captured the terrified look on Elian's face- who wouldn't be terrified under those circumstances? In any case, the element of surprise worked, they were able to get Elian away from his relatives and back to his father in a very short period of time, and without anyone getting hurt or killed, which the feds feared might well happen with any announced attempt on their part to accomplish this.
I recall thinking at the time that had the democrats not been in power ( Bill Clinton was the president at the time), the feds would not have gone to such lengths to return Elian back to his father. The GOP ( think George Bush and company) were highly sympathetic to the anti-Castro cause and with their Cuban American constituents. Though IMO this should have been a non-partisan issue as the right thing to do, regardless of one's own personal beliefs about returning a child to a parent ready and willing to love and provide for him, versus returning a child to a country run by a totalitarian regime.
Under communism a father doesn't provide for his child.
His father wanted him back. Sending him back was the right thing to do.
I lived in south Florida during that time.
Exactly! Everything after this in this thread was wasted words, except for this.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Travelassie
Elian had a father in Cuba who wanted him back. Like it or not, the father had custodial rights to the child. I lived in Miami at the time this occurred, and what's been lost in history, apparently, was the highly emotional political football this thing became. As has been mentioned, Elian's relatives ( aunt, uncle, cousins) who lived in Miami basically kidnapped the child and the Cuban American politicians, neighbors and other residents around essentially built a fortress around the kid, inflicted psychological, highly emotional and physical measures to keep the kid with his relatives in Miami even threatening violence and doing whatever it took to prevent him from being returned to his father ( that would be returning him to Castro, they said). Seemed they were willing to use guerilla tactics, force, whatever it took to ensure Elian would " live in freedom". As I recall, most of the Cuban American politicians around looked at this incident as a way to poke their nemesis, Fidel Castro in the eye and find favor with their Cuban American constituents, more so, IMO, than really caring all that much about the little boy.
IIRC, after a number of attempts to negotiate Elian's return to his father in Cuba after his mother died on their way to Florida, Janet Reno/feds determined the best way to accomplish this was to essentially to use the element of surprise, have the FBI, armed to the hilt, get into the house and take the kid away from his relatives. They had a plane ready to take the kid back to his father. That iconic picture ( which made its way through the community, and the country from there, plastered all over the local news media which was highly sympathetic to the cause of Elian "living in freedom" with "his loving family" never mind he had a loving father who wanted him) was a screen shot of the FBI searching the house, weapons drawn, looking for Elian in a highly charged atmosphere where it was reported that there were militant Cuban compatriots there armed to the teeth and willing to take out anyone who tried to get Elian away from his relatives in Miami. They found Elian with his uncle, others hiding in a closet, and hence the screenshot of the agent holding the gun, aimed towards the group in the closet. The picture also captured the terrified look on Elian's face- who wouldn't be terrified under those circumstances? In any case, the element of surprise worked, they were able to get Elian away from his relatives and back to his father in a very short period of time, and without anyone getting hurt or killed, which the feds feared might well happen with any announced attempt on their part to accomplish this.
I recall thinking at the time that had the democrats not been in power ( Bill Clinton was the president at the time), the feds would not have gone to such lengths to return Elian back to his father. The GOP ( think George Bush and company) were highly sympathetic to the anti-Castro cause and with their Cuban American constituents. Though IMO this should have been a non-partisan issue as the right thing to do, regardless of one's own personal beliefs about returning a child to a parent ready and willing to love and provide for him, versus returning a child to a country run by a totalitarian regime.
Great summary of the whole ordeal. It was a shameful political play involving a family. Unfortunately not the last time that would happen in Florida.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TimAZ
BTW, Google has almost succeeded in removing that photo from the search inquiries of the ICE agent pointing a gun at Elian during the midnight raid ordered by Janet Reno. George Orwell would be so proud!
Type Eliana Gonzalez into Goggle search and view images.
Is this the "throw the baby back in the water' Elian Gonzalez?
I used to work with a guy who would shout that out periodically. Mean? I don't know, we all thought it was hysterical.
Of course, from Cuba, used to be a policy (I think) if they could make it here to the US, they were 'in.' Not sure what happens now. Don't know where to scale Cuba on our list of international concerns. ha!
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take a gander at this video showing what it is really like. It starts out in the first 40 seconds showing the few Tourist areas that don't look that bad, but then the walking tour of the rest of Cuba shows the dirty underbelly of how the people live;
