Talking about an OT very OT situation:

I am running a poll on the cuban boy

Please state if you want him to go back to Cuba or Not.

I vote for him to go back to Cuba with his father.

-- Alex The Italian (alexcapr@yours.com), January 08, 2000

Answers

Send him back but extend the offer for him to return when he's 18.

-- H.H. (dontscrewme_2000@yahoo.com), January 08, 2000.

Just imagine yourself as the parent....wouldn't you feel that your child belongs with you? No matter WHERE you come from?

I have read that the father has a decent job, is a loving father and had the custody of the child, when the mother spirited him away, illegally.

I'm afraid that by his maternal relatives showering him with presents, a trip to Disneyworld, and giving him a puppy, they are trying influence him to stay here. Who knows how much they are psychologically influencing him, and how much they will coach him to say he wants to stay here, after being given all these advantages he might not have in Cuba. Nevertheless, families belong together, I stongly feel. You can't buy love.

-- Jo Ann (MaJo@Michiana.com), January 08, 2000.

Since the father has been proven a good father the child belongs with his dad.

-- Obo (susanwater@excite.com), January 08, 2000.

Jo Ann very good anserw !! I agree with You

-- Alex The Italian (alexcapr@yours.com), January 08, 2000.

Think about it this way

If a plane coming from Canada crashed, killing the mother, but leaving her son as a survivor, would there be any question about returning the kid to Canada and his father? But just becuse these fanatical Cuban exiles don't agree with Castro, they put us through this crap? And when I say put us through this crap, I do know what I'm talking about. I live in South Florida. I certaintly support their right to protest, but how in the world does blocking traffic and disrupting innocent peoples lives make sense. Yup... as I sit stuck in my car for 3 hours, it sure makes ME sympathetic.... NOT.

-- Bob (bob@bob.bob), January 08, 2000.

Bring the father to the U.S. to pick the kid up. Upon arriving in Miami the dad would be met by ex-pats offering him a good job, place to live, help in every regard.

If he then wishes to return to Cuba, he may by all means do so.

It's a free country (USA).

God bless America.

-- Me (me@me.me), January 08, 2000.

Trade him for Castro.

The kid goes back to Havana, & Castro spends his declining years in a prison somewhere in Floria.

See how easy that was...?

-- just call me the (wisdom@of.Solomon), January 08, 2000.

---maybe I'm wrong on this, but seems to me that the mom and dad were separated. the mom had legal custody. She split from an evil repressive regime, at great peril to her life, in fact she lost her life, and took the chance to ESCAPE. This was a serious consideration on her part, she obviously didn't want her son to grow up in a fascist dictatorship. Not many on this board have personal experience of this-I don't-but taking that into consideration, I feel that the boy has legal, legitimate political refugee status, and should be allowed to stay here until 18, when it would be up to him where he wished to go live.

zoggus

-- zog (zzoggy@yahoo.com), January 08, 2000.

He should be with his father. His father obviously loves him very much.

-- kritter (kritter@adelphia.net), January 08, 2000.

I agree with Janet Reno's statement of the other day - that he should be returned to his father. He should have been returned as soon as he was well enough to travel. I can't believe that now he has received a subpeona to testify in Congress just to keep him in this country. The Cuban Community is playing politics with this boys life. The whole thing just makes me ill.

-- Lornna Mitchell (doone@digital.net), January 08, 2000.

Let the boy be with his Father! I have a 3 year old and woe be unto any one (or politics, country, treaty, etc) that tried to keep him from me. And zog, I'm usually with you, but skip the 'fascist dictator' stuff. Castro's not going to raise him, his daddy is. I can't believe that Reno's backing this, but maybe it's the ONLY thing that the current administration has done right in human rights. The Cuban people are warm, family oriented, and sincere. It reminds me of the U.S. in the 1950's. This is about a boy and his Dad.Forget the rich relatives trying to buy his 6 yr old vote!

on de rock

-- Walter (on de rock@northrock.bm), January 08, 2000.

Send him back.

Send the protesters back.

Nuke Havana....

I'll get some flak...but I've lived in Texas and Florida. The immegrants come here and live off of us. they hate Americans and their neighborhoods are shit. there are some good people and some DO make it and do well. But...why can't they fix their own damn problems instead of bringing them here?

-- tiredOfIllegals (BO@M.com), January 08, 2000.

This is a political game. The boy belongs with his father. Showering him with gifts is only an attempt to influence the child.

-- (I'm@Pol.ly), January 08, 2000.

I see that the poll is going in favour of the boy going back to Cuba, I suspected CNN reported that Miami is Split: Whites Americans and Black Americans think that he should go back home Latins (I mean all Latin Americans) I do not belive Italians he should stay. Well I know is much easier life here but A father is aFather.While you still have him You should stay with him

-- Alex The Italian (alexcapr@yours.com), January 08, 2000.

Send him back.

WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO FAMILY VALUES.

-- billy d (billyd@aol.com), January 08, 2000.

Well at least the majority agrees on the boy going back.

Pollies and Dommers united on the Same front AMAZING!!!

-- Alex The Italian (alexcapr@yours.com), January 08, 2000.

Send him back to his father!

I'm embarrassed to be an American right now ... with our keeping this kid in the US ... away from his father ... because of POLITICS!!!

When this first happened, from what I heard ... the boy wanted to go back and be with his dad. Now ... who knows how he feels? Particularly after being the center of attention and having VIP treatment at Disneyland ... getting new toys and clothes.

I find this whole situation reprehensible. I feel sorry for both the father and the boy. I don't like Castro ... but, there still are a lot of GOOD people living in Cuba ... who have strong family values ... in spite of the adversity and dearth of material stuff.

It's really sad that the boy has become a political pawn ... to garner primarly Cuban-American votes in Florida.

-- Cheryl (Transplant@Oregon.com), January 08, 2000.

Alex, this mess shows you just how fine and well meaning our politicians are. To hell with the kid and the father/family, lets make hay out of this for Cuban votes in Florida. Ah, ain't politics grand.

-- Richard (Astral-Acres@webtv.net), January 08, 2000.

I don't think he was living with his father in Cuba, and I don't know what kind of relationship he had with his father. Remember that children are taken away from their parents in this country quite frequently because the government doesn't agree with the way parents are raising their children. I really know have a strong opinion because I don't have enough information.

-- Dave (dannco@hotmail.com), January 08, 2000.

Zog, You got it wrong. Cuba is a communist dictatorship. We live in a fascist ditatorship.

I emphatically want the boy returned to his Dad ASAP. Vote.com had a poll about this, and people voted 9 to 1 to send the boy back. This is a good question to maybe spark some dialogue about what's going on in our country (ie. Do we really have Freedom???)! New Lurker

-- New Lurker (AlekHidell@awol.com), January 08, 2000.

Send the boy home with his dad.This is not a political topic. It's a father son topic.

-- Ramen (Ramen@1234.com), January 08, 2000.

Is there some big rush, the kid's not going anywhere. Who's investigated the father, except the Clinton administration, guess it would be in the child's best interests to have an outside third party check into whether the father is the best relative to raise the child. Then, if he does go back, will he be one of the many that go to such extreme measures to flee the great country we want to send him back to, only to find he encouters the same plight as his mother. Just really don't understand the pressure to have this all happen at lightening speed -- there's a lot of people that would probably love this kind of speed in our justice system in so many child custody cases in this country.

-- claurann (claurann@aol.com), January 08, 2000.

Interesting...

People who have never spent a single hour in Cuba, are eager to send the kid there.

People who have lived in Cuba, & who risked their lives to leave, are vehemently opposed to sending him back.

THAT, all by itself, should be enough information to decide the issue.

Don't send him back. Currently, it's a horrible place. Someday, it may be livable again. When it is, he'll go back on his own.

-- is this (really@so.difficult), January 08, 2000.

--is this.. Do you remember what happens when you ass/u/me something? You might be wrong if you took a poll of who's been to Cuba.Have you?

on de rock

-- Walter (on de rock@northrock.bm), January 08, 2000.

Guys, this is fom a point of view of an European which lived only 9 years ou of 43 in the USa and not even in the mainland,but I watch all American media etc etc . This country needs a reform in the political way of life .I mean money is too much involved in politics.Lobbyst ,money going to politicians from tobacco companies, from Cuban,from Italians,from Pharmaceutical,from Sugar peoples,you name it. I believe ther must be a reform. This is a small point of view of a European. Thanks

-- Alex The Italian (alexcapr@yours.com), January 08, 2000.

His mother died getting him to freedom. To send him back means that she died for nothing. Respect her wishes and keep him here.

-- Homeschooling Grandma (mlaymon@glenn-co.k12.ca.us), January 08, 2000.

Aren't there any good GI families out there, willing to take the boy in?

-- The Tall Man (mortuary@phantasm.com), January 09, 2000.

I think the little boy should stay in the USA. His mother wanted him to be in the United States, and there is evidence that the father also knew he was heading to the United States. He will have better opportunities here, and he didn't live with his dad anyway.

-- miranda (miranda@noemail.com), January 09, 2000.

Thanks Alex for trolling for the
ugly americans.

-- spider (spider0@usa.net), January 09, 2000.