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 Battle for Elian reveals double standards regarding persons of African descent

By Dr. RUFUS G.W. SANDERS
Special to USAfricaonline.com and USAfrica The Newspaper

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If Republican congressman Dan Burton is so interested in helping people in totalitarian states that have suffered poverty, social and economic injustices; then let him receive Haitian refugees who also make it to these precious American shores. Let the U.S., therefore, allow Liberians (in west Africa), whose country was the only American colony, come. After all, they have suffered atrocities in Africa that are unmentionable.

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It has to be clear by now, even to the most dense of political bumpkins that the media circus surrounding the Little Havana home of the Miami relatives of the Cuban exile Elian Gonzales has nothing to do with him at all. The tug- of- war between his Cuban family in Havana and his Cuban-American family in Miami, over who will be his custodial guardian, is really all about the continuation of the fight and the struggle concerning the Cuban revolution of 1959. Second, it reflects the drama and politics of the continued harassment of the Clinton administration policies, which are slowly moving toward the lifting of the Cuban embargo.

Looking back at history, in 1959 Fidel Castro wrestled power from Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista, and declared Cuba a socialist republic. Many Cubans who desired a Democratic form of government left Cuba and fled to Miami; consequentially America cut diplomatic relations with Cuba and imposed an embargo that has lasted 40 years.

The Miami family of little Elian Gonzales are part of the now Cuban-American community that lost the revolution and fled Cuba for America. Defeated, frustrated and humiliated, they are now using his personal dilemma to bring attention to their disdain for Castro and their hatred of the Cuban Republic. They are blocking traffic, holding massive demonstrations, surrounding governmental buildings and committing other acts of civil disobedience; while threatening to disobey orders of the president, attorney general and the Immigration and Naturalization agency to send the six-year-old boy back to his father in Cuba.

It is clear that the Cuban-American community in Miami, with the help of some powerful conservative republican leaders, is attempting to usurp the power of the American legal system. What's most appalling is that they are playing openingly with the emotions of this little boy for their own benefits. They have virtually kidnapped this little boy and are now trying to hold the U.S. government hostage, by disregarding the office of the American attorney general and the rule of law.

The Clinton administration is trying to be cautious, patient and understanding. It is aware that probably millions of Cuban votes, which possibly could have gone to vice president Gore in the upcoming presidential election will now go to the Republicans. It is also aware that what was a warming of relationships with Cuba is now strained. While I sympathize with the Clinton administrationıs political dilemma; it must not allow a community of disgruntled rebels to detour it from doing the right and moral thing.

Yes, this little boyıs mother was attempting to come to America when she, unfortunately, drowned, but it was without the knowledge of the father or his consent. In terms of common law, she kidnapped the kid.Does the father want his son back? You bet your sweet life he does. And, by all accounts, he's not only a darn good father, but he is able to take care of his son. What does the little boy want? Well, he's only six years old. All that a six-year-old wants is toys, puppies, cookies and his parents. That's why at that age we usually have parents who make decisions for us. Not only is it common law and common practice; it just makes common sense.

Is Cuba a socialistic country? Sure it is, but you don't go around breaking up families just because their political ideology is different from yours. It's obvious these countries are not treated equally. Hence, I make bold to say that if this kid had been Chinese, he would have long been back in China where he belonged. No questions asked.

Over the last forty years, and I might add to no avail, they have fought furiously to bring down the Castro regime. Some of the tactics that they have employed to accomplish this includes influencing the U.S. government through various lobbying groups, and the political domination of the Miami area through the electoral process. Some Cuban-American activists have gone as far as trying paramilitary invasion; as well as assisting in countless illegal smuggling of Cubans across the dangerous straits of the Caribbean Sea to America. They have even been accused of complicity in assassination attempts against Castro.

They have elicited the dubious help of representative Dan Burton of Illinois. You remember him don't you? He is the Republican congressman who called President Clinton "a scum bag" during the impeachment hearing. Burton, in an obvious unprecedented partisan political move, halted the return of the boy to his father by issuing a subponea for the child to appear before the House committee on government reform; which he happens to chair. His sudden involvement not only smacks of political-high jacking, but it is also a blatant misuse of committee power.

Burton's involvement; along with that of former independent Republican presidential candidate, Senator Bob Smith of New Hampshire and that of Senate Republican leader Trent Lott raises even more concern that this issue is not about the custody of this little boy. It really has become another opportunity by Republican conservatives to continue the embarrassment and harassment of the Clinton administration.

It is Clinton's policy of sending escaped Cuban refugees back to Cuba that they find to be un-American. The hypocrisy of their stance is that they couldn't care less about Haitian refugees who also regularly make life risking escape attempts across the dangerous Caribbean. The Republican congressional leadership involvement, commensurate with a controversial Florida family court decision by Miami Judge Rosa Rodriguez, that allowed for Elian's Miami great-uncle to be made temporary guardian over him, until a court hearing later this winter; raises even more the issues of the politicization of this matter. Even the judge's relationship to certain principals in this case are questionable and open to suspect.

Not only must little Elian be reunited with his father in Cuba, but we must continue to work toward the easing of the embargo against the Cuban people. And, the politicians in the U.S. must stop their immoral practice of selective human rights.

PRESIDENTIAL TRANSITION Powell nominated to serve as Secretary of State by G.W. Bush; bipartisan commendations follow. In a special report soon after after the history-making nomination, USAfricaonline.com Founder and Publisher Chido Nwangwu placed Powell within the trajectory of history and into his unfolding clout and relevance in an essay titled 'Why Colin Powell brings gravitas, credibility and star power to Bush presidency.' AFRICA AND THE U.S. ELECTIONS Beyond U.S. electoral shenanigans, rewards and dynamics of a democratic republic hold lessons for African politics. By Chido Nwangwu. The Coming Apathy: Africa policy under a Bush administration. By Dr. Salih Booker 'Kwanzaa's relevance to be measured in daily efforts of people of African descent.' Africa, the message of Christmas and beyond. By Charles Achodo Congo rebels advance on key govternment supply lines. Rwandan-backed Congolese rebels are advancing on two key Democratic Republic of Congo government supply lines in a bid to take control of the frontier with Zambia, rebel and intelligence sources has said. The sources said the rebels were forcing soldiers loyal to Congo President Laurent Kabila into Zambia to clear the frontline of the enemy before advancing back into the country to take control of key areas in the DRC. The retreat of up to 8,000 Kabila loyalists and 60,000 civilians who have fled across the border to escape the fierce fighting has put a strain on resources in Zambia, which has deployed 3,500 of its own troops in the area. Church bombed in Sudan: How 3 American missionaries miraculously escaped death. USAfricaonline.com Special and Exclusive report by Elise Glading

CONTINENTAL AGENDA Bush's position on Africa is "ill-advised." The position stated by Republican presidential aspirant and Governor of Texas, George Bush where he said that "Africa will not be an area of priority" in his presidency has been questioned by USAfricaonline.com Publisher Chido Nwangwu. He added that Bush's "pre-election position was neither validated by the economic exchanges nor geo-strategic interests of our two continents." These views were stated during an interview CNN's anchor Bernard Shaw and senior analyst Jeff Greenfield had with Mr. Nwangwu on Saturday November 18, 2000 during a special edition of 'Inside Politics 2000.' Nwangwu, adviser to the Mayor of Houston (the 4th largest city in the U.S., and immigrant home to thousands of Africans) argued further that "the issues of the heritage interests of 35 million African-Americans in Africa, the volume and value of oil business between between the U.S and Nigeria and the horrendous AIDS crisis in Africa do not lend any basis for Governor Bush's ill-advised position which removes Africa from fair consideration" were he to be elected president. By Alverna Johnson Letters: African perspectives to U.S. elections on CNN "The American people have now spoken, but it's going to take a little while to determine exactly what they said." U.S. President Bill Clinton. Blacks and the 2000 U.S. Vote Rev. Jesse Jackson and NAACP's Kweisi Mfume are leading the charge against intimidation of Blacks in Florida and west Vrginia during the November 8, 2000 elections. The U.S. Elections, Political System and Africa. By Profs. Cassandra R. Veney and Paul Tiyambe Zeleza