Tear down walls
I just returned from a visit to Cuba. The following impressions come from what I heard from the people.
The barriers that the United States has erected for more than 50 years to bring about regime change have only resulted in hardships for the Cuban people. While they have a realistic fear of the power of the totalitarian Communist Party, they have found ways of getting around some of its restrictions:
n “There are leaks in what they try to block.” The people have also found escape through their art, music, dance, and love of family.
n “Life is larger than what we are taught in school.” The people will survive even if we continue our embargo on goods, our barriers to business activity, and our restrictions on travel. There is little chance that the people will ever rise up to overthrow the government.
n “We will never shed the blood of our beautiful children.” But they continue to be people of hope. There is a hunger for American ways.
Conditions have changed over the past eight years. Entrepreneurship flourishes — some in legal, and others in less legal, ways. Some Cubans are literally counting the days until President Obama’s visit, hoping he will announce some new opening in relations.
The most effective way of improving the lives of our Cuban neighbors and gradually bring about change in their government would be to tear down the walls we have erected and continue to build bridges.
By; Len Kochendorfer
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