Your article and video are remarkable.
All the participants were right on target.
And Mary Anastasia, as usual, excelled.

There is one aspect though that you missed, and needs to be mentioned: Cubans have to pay freedom's price.
In that market, blood is the only valid currency.

In greener years, my generation paid the price: thousands of dead and tens of thousands of political prisoners.
The present one has not met the challenge, with a few worthy exceptions- the Ladies in White, Yoani Sánchez, Oscar Elías Bicet, and other corageous dissidents and political prisoners.

A venomous phrase, perhaps cowardice in disguise, has been making the rounds for some decades -"peaceful transition". (http://www.newcubacoalition.org/English/Articles/articles_en_Pace-Transtion.htm) It´s a good bet that this has been spreaded by those who have invested in Сuba, and don´t want anyone to make waves. They are the same that praise and honor the dissidents.

And this leads to what is unique about America: all generations pay the price. Freedom is never considered a permanent property, you must pay for it every day of your life.

That's why, it´s nothing but fair that, when one passes by a woman or man in uniform to always tell them: "We are proud of you".


Emilio-Adolfo Rivero
President
New Cuba Coalition
Washington, D. C.

 

*"Big Brother Weighs in"                                                                               April 23, 2009