Please! No Mas On Elian!

Please! No Mas On Elian!
by Bud Malmsten

Question: What was the best thing about arresting that serial killer suspect in Spokane?

Answer: It got Elian Gonzalez off the front page for a few days, at least in Spokane!

However, there is one more thing that cries out for some attention here.

First a little personal background on why the issue surfaced for me again. My sister-in-law forwarded some material that challenged everything the
Clinton / Reno / INS forces had done over that fateful Good Friday - Easter Sunday weekend. She added the comment, "At least here is another side to the story."

Well, since I had already determined the truth in this issue, I did her the big favor of sending her my American Partisan column from January 28, titled
"Elian Gonzalez Victim Hero or Little Boy?" The lead lines were, "It should have been a no brainer. We have made it an international competition."

Let me add that the things I have learned since then have made me more sure that this little boy is being used by his Miami "relatives" for their own purposes without any concern for his welfare.

If they truly cared about him, why would they have been keeping him in the middle of potentially very hostile confrontations. Why would they not have been spending their time with him relieving his natural anxieties. Children do not like it when adults fight, and they do not like to perceive themselves as the cause of adults fighting.

One assurance for all the Cuba haters. When Elian returns to Cuba with his Dad [as ALL true "family values" people must insist], he will be the most watched child in the communist world. The full force of Castro's regime will be marshaled to make sure that Elian grows up safe and healthy. They may be wrong, but they are far from stupid! Fifteen years from now, Elian will be 21 years old. I pray that his memories of the United States include the notion that this is a place of peace, where people do the right thing, not only when forced to do so, but just because it is the right thing to do.

A couple questions for the Miami "relatives:"
-Whose agenda was served by having an AP photographer in the home at 5:00
AM?
-How have you explained the death of Elian's mother to the boy? I got a vague impression from something I heard that he may be wondering why she has not come to get him yet. I would love to be reassured about that. Can anyone shed light on this?

By Sunday the Miami's were crying loudly about the fear in the boy's face as pictured by the AP photog. Why was he afraid? Did it ever occur to them that they had taught him to fear us? The terror lasted for Elian as long as he was uncertain about where he was going. As soon as he knew he was heading for Dad, he seemed to brighten up measurably.

The Miami's should hesitate to call attention to the fact that it was in their home that Elian was frightened. When he left there the fear left him.

My concern has been that there are people who are so focused on bringing down the Clinton administration that they forbid themselves from acknowledging anything that could be seen as agreeing with any White House position.

Don't get me wrong. I am no Clinton supporter. I was chagrined when Clinton "won" the 1992 election, and mortified when he was reelected in 1996. Where has the moral fiber of our nation gone? I am very disappointed that our Senate did not have the courage to convict on the articles of impeachment when they had the opportunity. Where has the moral fiber of our nation gone?

Well, my sister-in-law sent me the most thoughtful letter I have yet seen. She caused me to at least stop and consider another point of view. I still believe this issue should never have been allowed to escalate into an international incident. This six year old boy has already experienced too much trauma. His Miami "relatives" have no family claim on him comparable to that of his biological father. I am sorry that we have given the Cuban "reprogrammers' so much ammunition to feed this boy concerning the "evils of life in the USA."

I would be delighted if Daddy Juan somehow got the message to US officials that he really does want to remain here under asylum. But if that is not the case, our commitment to freedom must be deep enough to give him the freedom to take his son back to Cuba. And our trust in the truth [and the Author of Truth] must be patient enough to wait for Elian to make his own comparisons.

My sister-in-law's final words put the whole dilemma in perspective:

"I DON'T KNOW what the answer should. Looks to me like a Solomon type issue, that is unresolvable, unless someone is willing to give up their rights in favor of the boy, and not for personal gain for everyone."

What a wonderful suggestion. What if all these parties could put down their weapons for a time and simply talk with each other, without the lawyers!?!?!

What a concept!