[Susan1717]

Please help me to understand; our Cuban neighbors are fighting communism waving our American flag for freedom and seeking food against starvation and medical assistance from poor neglected health issues. Why are they being denied help and not welcomed to the States but our southern border is open allowing pretty much anyone else in including immigrants that may have Covid, drugs, trafficking children, and history of any crimes. We have so many people stuffed into unhealthy tents at our southern border with horrible conditions and that had been abused by cartel coyotes, plus a threat to the local ranchers. Our coast guards are given strict orders to not allow the people from Cuba asylum into the States. Clearly they are starved and fighting for freedom. Help me to understand the difference?!

[GrumpyOldMan]

I can not speak to this issue, but I will be following this thread with interest. Being a native Floridian and born and raised in S. Florida I am fairly familiar with the Cuban population already there.

[Nucky]

My brother in law who came over on the Mariel Boatlift in about 1980 has described the conditions that they were living under at that time. It wasn't good. I don't completely grasp why he would take the chance to go back every few years to see his family because of the risk involved. I guess the attraction to his first family overides the commitment to the life he made here.

Things have changed and he will stop returning because his Mom had passed. He still sends money almost every month to help them out. Life is rough over there.

I'm about the only Gringo he can speak to and it's getting tougher to understand him every time I see him. He has a very scratchy voice and I speak very poor Spanglish. Somehow we have become like brothers over the years. He is so grateful to be an American. The day he was crowned American was the only time I saw him cry. He's worried to death about the brothers and sister he has over there but is hopeful for their freedom.

God help them all.

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by Susan1717

Please help me to understand; our Cuban neighbors are fighting communism waving our American flag for freedom and seeking food against starvation and medical assistance from poor neglected health issues. Why are they being denied help and not welcomed to the States but our southern border is open allowing pretty much anyone else in including immigrants that may have Covid, drugs, trafficking children, and history of any crimes. We have so many people stuffed into unhealthy tents at our southern border with horrible conditions and that had been abused by cartel coyotes, plus a threat to the local ranchers. Our coast guards are given strict orders to not allow the people from Cuba asylum into the States. Clearly they are starved and fighting for freedom. Help me to understand the difference?!

There is no difference. Anyone entering the country should do it legally, and the Government should apply the law equally.

[Laker14]

Originally Posted by Nucky

My brother in law who came over on the Mariel Boatlift in about 1980 has described the conditions that they were living under at that time. It wasn't good. I don't completely grasp why he would take the chance to go back every few years to see his family because of the risk involved. I guess the attraction to his first family overides the commitment to the life he made here.

Things have changed and he will stop returning because his Mom had passed. He still sends money almost every month to help them out. Life is rough over there.

I'm about the only Gringo he can speak to and it's getting tougher to understand him every time I see him. He has a very scratchy voice and I speak very poor Spanglish. Somehow we have become like brothers over the years. He is so grateful to be an American. The day he was crowned American was the only time I saw him cry. He's worried to death about the brothers and sister he has over there but is hopeful for their freedom.

God help them all.

Congratulations on finding a topic to discuss that has more weight than whose dog is pooping in whose yard. Unfortunately, this is unlikely to be a good place for a meaningful discussion. However, if you are really interested in knowing more about this subject, and how Cuba-USA relations evolved over the last 200 years, I recommend doing a Google search for books on US-Cuba history. This one from Amazon is a good one. https://www.amazon.com/Cuba-History-...YBXHEC4T65RY1S
It is a fascinating story, how we got from Christopher Columbus to Fidel Castro, a mere 90 miles or so from our southern border. You can't really understand it without getting into the politics of Communism vs. Imperialism, and once we do that, this thread will be deleted in a heartbeat.
Good luck in your pursuit of a better understanding.

[Laker14]

here is a less expensive , but just as expansive, alternative to the book I linked from Amazon.
Same author..
Access to this page has been denied.

no idea why access was denied. the link was supposed to go to "ThriftBooks.com", the author is Hugh Thomas, the title is "Cuba or The Pursuit of Freedom", you can search that site either by author or title. around $14 including shipping. Well over a thousand pages, so you must realize that you'll get a bit more cogent information from that tome than you will from this thread. As evidenced by post #6 above.

[egmcaninch]

Originally Posted by Susan1717

Please help me to understand; our Cuban neighbors are fighting communism waving our American flag for freedom and seeking food against starvation and medical assistance from poor neglected health issues. Why are they being denied help and not welcomed to the States but our southern border is open allowing pretty much anyone else in including immigrants that may have Covid, drugs, trafficking children, and history of any crimes. We have so many people stuffed into unhealthy tents at our southern border with horrible conditions and that had been abused by cartel coyotes, plus a threat to the local ranchers. Our coast guards are given strict orders to not allow the people from Cuba asylum into the States. Clearly they are starved and fighting for freedom. Help me to understand the difference?!

I've been working in Cuba (mission trips) since 2003, and I can tell you they have a great deal of appreciation for our country! If they can get to Florida, they will be welcome by the residents of our state, regardless of what the administration says. I hope many people here speak out/up in defense of the Cubans who love our country & against the repressive regime that hate us.

[egmcaninch]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

There is no difference. Anyone entering the country should do it legally, and the Government should apply the law equally.

Totally different! People trying to escape an obvious system that will kill them/"disappear" them. You need to get a grasp on reality!

[Susan1717]

Thank you, I just ordered the book.

[Susan1717]

I think that our Cuban neighbors should be helped and allowed legal entry.

[Laker14]

Originally Posted by Susan1717

I think that our Cuban neighbors should be helped and allowed legal entry.

I don't disagree. Before I was born (I was born in 1953), my family lived in Havana. WE are not Cuban. My dad was working with a cadre of engineers from Proctor & Gamble building a soap factory. They lived there for 6 months or so.
Of course, P&G lost that enterprise with Castro's revolution, but my dad always had something interesting to say about Cuba, and always had a strong affection for Cuba and the people of Cuba.

Before Dad died, through his connections with Cornell University, he was able to make two return trips to Havana. These were both taken over 60 years after he'd lived there. Needless to say the country has not thrived under Castro, but the USA has had a big hand in that, making policies designed to thwart economic progress in that country. There are a lot of political reasons why that is, and most of them I disagree with.
Again, good luck in your pursuit of a better understanding.

You posting this has rekindled an interest in the subject for me, and reminded me that I wanted to some more reading on it. I also ordered this book.

[Laker14]

Originally Posted by George Page

Because they traditionally vote Republican.

Great answer! I didn't even know that our Cuban neighbors were granted the right to vote in US elections.

Very informative.

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by Susan1717

I think that our Cuban neighbors should be helped and allowed legal entry.

That would be 11.3 million new U.S. residents.

Or, would you be okay if the Cuban Government released all of their prisoners, hospital and mental patients, and others, and shipped them to our country?

[BRN_RI_FL]

Originally Posted by Laker14

Great answer! I didn't even know that our Cuban neighbors were granted the right to vote in US elections.

Very informative.

If dead people can vote, our Cuban neighbors can vote.

[Dana1963]

Originally Posted by Susan1717

Please help me to understand; our Cuban neighbors are fighting communism waving our American flag for freedom and seeking food against starvation and medical assistance from poor neglected health issues. Why are they being denied help and not welcomed to the States but our southern border is open allowing pretty much anyone else in including immigrants that may have Covid, drugs, trafficking children, and history of any crimes. We have so many people stuffed into unhealthy tents at our southern border with horrible conditions and that had been abused by cartel coyotes, plus a threat to the local ranchers. Our coast guards are given strict orders to not allow the people from Cuba asylum into the States. Clearly they are starved and fighting for freedom. Help me to understand the difference?!

Your describing what’s happening in The Norther Triangle Countries of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras also.
If you want to know about history of Cuba you must start with Fulgencio Batista it’s not that complicated.