On Second Thought

On Second Thought

After listening to Tomas Estrada Palma’s show I went to sleep and I just couldn’t, the idea of feeding Castro’s body to the sharks after he dies seemed very appropriate and justified. It made me think of the balseros, all these men, women and children that died trying to cross the 90 mile stretch between Cuba and The Florida keys, families trying to find freedom and true happiness. As I tossed and turned, I kept thinking about his death and feeding him to the fish. What a great symbolic way to even the score.

Then, I thought of the humble men that sacrificed their lives for the revolution. As young men they heard the promises that the revolution would bring, they listened to their leader speak of the wonderful future that one day would come. These young men waited from decade to decade and although none of the promises were fulfilled they would stay quiet first out of loyalty, then out of fear and finally they realized that they spent a lifetime working and waiting for a good life, accepting the crumbs their government tossed at them, having nothing to show for. These men will refuse to admit that the revolution was a lie, they will continue defending their leader to their last breath. To turn against their government would mean that their lives were wasted, that their lives had no meaning, so they continue to fight for the revolution and most likely will to the end of their pathetic lives.

Now, going back to the fish food. Most likely feeding Castro to the sharks will not take place. There will be Cubans that for whatever reason will not allow anybody to take Castros’ body and
toss him into the ocean to be eaten by sharks, we won’t even be able to spray paint graffiti on his head stone. The Cubans in the exile will have to show respect to the Cuban men that were fooled by Castro to prevent a civil war and more deaths. We had the good fortune to leave in time and have a second chance for a decent life; our lives were not wasted like the many lives that drowned in the ocean or the lives that were used by Castro’s regime. In honor of those that didn’t have our fortune we should show restrain. We “The Cuban Exile” should prepare for the ultimate test whenever the time comes, to show our love for Cuba, they will need our help and our solidarity. We can show the Cuban people who the enemy really was. And the fish can wait.

Maria