Monday, March 27, 2006

Guillermo Fariñas Hernandez

Today the blog world is supporting Guillermo Fariñas Hernandez--- read other post at http://www.babalublog.com/

Help Fariñas Hernandez!!!!

STATEMENT BY CONGRESSMAN LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART REGARDING "MR. MAS' LETTER TO PRESIDENT BUSH"

The following is a press release from Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart in response to Jose Mas-Santos letter to President Bush............

Miami, FL - Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-FL) issued the following statement today with regard to the "letter to President Bush" that Mr. Jorge Mas Santos and his organization are paying to have published in various newspapers:

"My phone number is in the telephone book and they would have saved themselves some confusion if they had called me.

I have never said that I would support unilateral changes to the Helms-Burton law, nor that I would accept a provisional government led by any of the Castro brothers.

I have fought intensely throughout the years against any changes to the Helms-Burton law and will continue to do so, including many much smaller changes than those.

Perhaps it would have been useful if they had called me, for they are taking as fact incorrect assertions in the press that have distorted my positions.

Precisely the reason for which I insist upon the return of sovereignty to the Cuban people through multiparty elections, is so that no transitional government that continues the dictatorship can be acceptable, led either by the Castro brothers, Alarcón, Colomé Ibarra, Ramiro Valdés, etc. To me there is no difference between any of them. None of them has nor would have any legitimacy. The only legitimate government would be one that is the result of free and multiparty elections.

I do not disagree with the positions on Helms-Burton in this letter by Mr. Mas. What is unfortunate is that he insinuates that our community is divided, when it is not. He could have prevented that insinuation with a simple telephone call. The saddest part of this is that Mr. Mas and his group spend large amounts of money to divide our community instead of trying to help us fight the dictatorship."

###

Guillermo Fariñas Hernandez


This week Congress will debate the Online Freedom of Speech Act, sponsored by Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas).

It's a bit ironic that while Members in Congress fight on our freedom to blog, others are dying because they want to access the internet.

Today as we speak, a man sits in Cuba, holding on to his last moments on life. His name is Guillermo Fariñas Hernandez, an independent journalist and a freedom fighter who believes in the freedom of information. Guillermo Fariñas Hernandez has gone without food or water for 57 days!!

For years he has been attacked by the socialist government. Now he is on a hunger strike to show the world that freedom is not free and Cuba is not what Fidel makes it out to be.

Cuba is a place where a free thought is a dirty secret, and an independent soul is just as bad a death sentence. Cuba is a place where "happiness" only exisits in moments and the brutality of life are sometimes too much of a harsh reality for many to bear.

Please stand by Fariñas. Write or call your Congressman tell them about Fariñas needs freedom to explore the internet as well.

Thursday, March 23, 2006

FIU Gets Med School!!

Today is a VERY proud day to be a FIU (Florida International Univeristy) alumni.

The University just got approved to open a medical school!! Woohoo.... not only does this give access to thousands of students that want to pursue a degree in medicine but do not have the incomes to afford private institutions in the area, but it makes FIU so much better...

YEAH to all my gold panthers out there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you Matt Drudge

On today's Drudge Report, front and center is a huge picture of Fidel Castro with the tag line reading: Former aide spills the dirt on Fidel Castro...

The Drudge Report maybe one the most read news bloggs in the country. EVERYONE reads it.

The tag line links to a good story about Fidel's ex body guard. The body guard, Fernandez, who appears regularly on Oscar Haza and channel 41 in Miami, talked about some Cuban realities like:

"What happened was, the course he took with the revolution was wrong. It has dissolved into this unstoppable, insatiable corruption without limits, a vast lie. The people are in misery. Cuba's people have been enslaved as cheap labor for foreign businessmen.''

The article appeared in today's Miami Herald (link below). Hopefully more people will learn the horrible truth about Cuba!!.

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/local/14163977.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

Thank You!

Just wanted to take a moment and thank all of those who have been so kind. Thank you for your prayers and your thoughts. God bless you.

Monday, March 20, 2006

A prayer for our fallen Patriots

I have been away from blogging for a while, though I often found reasons to add my two cents to the virtual debate, my heart wasn’t in it. The reason because one of my greatest inspirations, and a wonderful Cuban patriot died recently, she was (is) my grandmother.

Last month the world lost a beautiful soul who radiated with life and love. Who taught her children, grand children and great grandchildren to be strong, independent, compassionate and to love a country they had never seen. Her stories made the brilliant tropical island come alive in our heads, and her food made it come alive to our senses.

In her youth my grandma flew planes over la Bahia de Nipe. She got to meet Amelia Earheart. She drove cars and won countless dance competitions. She ran a few businesses (in Cuba and the U.S). Cuban President Prio said she was “La estampa de la mujer Cubana.” A quote she was most found of, as you can imagine. She wrote poetry and short stories and often appeared on Spanish radio talking about Cuba. She raised a family while her husband was taken political prisoner in Cuba for 14 years.

For the last few weeks I have been overwhelmed with the possibility of her death, staying with her at the hospital and praying for a miracle. She passed after two weeks of being gravely ill. (the hospital care did not help!!) I know she is a much happier place now, at the side of the Lord, joined with my grandfather and family. Yet, my family here on earth will never be the same, as my grandmother was the light of our lives and the glue that kept us together.

She taught us to be proud Cubans. I can remember countless times reciting Jose Marti, being soaked with colognia de violeta and Mirta de Perales products, learning how to cook Cuban food and memorizing the history of our proud Caribbean island.

I often laugh that I am the typical Carmensita of “Que Pasa USA?”.And my grandmother was just like her abuela. She chaperoned me and made me always speak Spanish but wanted to be hip with her few English phrases. Like telling my “amigitos” things like “gate-oda-he” which really meant “get out of here.” Till her final days she joked around, danced and love to be silly while being the perfect portrait of a lady.

Not only am I torn with the reality that I will never see her again or hear her comforting voice. Not only do I pain over the fact I will I never receive her advice again. What I abhor the most, what hurts me the most, is the reality that she is another Cuban patriot who will never see a free Cuba.

Day after day members of our Cuban-American community die in exile, never seeing the native home they left behind so many years ago.

During her funeral services the Deacon leading us in prayer told us to pray for our Cuban brother and sisters, and to pray for a free Cuba. He also asked us to pray for the countless of families who have been separated by this revolution. The Deacon reminded that as much as we grieve over her death that we were lucky to have her. So many unfortunate families are never reunited.

I guess we are one of the lucky ones. Most of us at one point made it to the U.S. I was lucky to have her in my life. I was lucky to have such an inspiring and trailblazing woman in my life. I was lucky I could say goodbye and be there at her funeral surrounded by my family. But oh how I miss her.

Vaya con Dios querida abuelita. Te quiero con todo mi corazón.

Today try to pray for all of those families separated by the Cuban dictator. Pray for their peaceful reunification.

'7 Mile Bridge' Cubans To get Immigration Papers

According to Miami CBS News 4 the 14 Cubans who reached land by landing on the 7 mile bridge ave been approved entry into the U.S.!!! (It's about time!! But the sad reality is what are the chances that castro allows the 14 to leave the island? It is a very sad reality that we must all face....)

Full story below

(CBS4 News) MIAMI --The Cubans denied entry to the US because they landed on a pier of the old 7-mile Bridge instead of on actual US soil are on step closer to returning to the land the were trying to reach.

A federal judge has approved an agreement granting the 14 Cuban migrants entry into the United States.The 14 Cubans, all of whom were repatriated to their homeland after decisions by the US Coast Guard and US Immigration officials, will be given proper immigration papers within ten days of the judge's approval of the agreement.

In return, the US government will drop its planned appeal of the judge's ruling that the Cubans had legitimately reached American shores at the bridge and that they had been illegally returned to Cuba.

The agreement also requires that the judge vacate his previous order against the U-S government, removing a potential legal precedent for lawyers to use against federal officials in future Cuban immigration controversies.

There are still no guarantees that Cuba will let the group leave the island. The Cubans thought they reached their destination in January when their boat landed at an abandoned bridge in the Florida Keys. Federal lawyers had argued that the bridge did not count as dry land because sections of the bridge are missing and it no longer connects to U-S soil. The U-S "wet foot/dry foot" policy calls for most Cubans who reach U-S soil to be allowed to stay, while those intercepted at sea are generally returned to Cuba.

(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

Tuesday, March 14, 2006

The Anti-Photo Op

Too good not to post....Senator Stabenow on the senate floor with a very interesting sign. Keep your eyes open for a commercial on this later this year poking fun at her...