Monday, October 10, 2005

 

Elian

Sunday, on 60 Mins Elian Gonzalez gave his first interview since the incidents which five years ago propelled him into instant fame. Actually, I had seen a feature on him about a year ago where his father said he won’t be in the public face until he turns 18.I don’t know what accounted for this change of face but probably it was a good payday or some skilled Public Relations.

Image hosted by Photobucket.comIsn’t it just amazing the way a human interest story became this huge international custody battle? The poor child was a pawn in the hands of the relatives, who in their arrogance determined it was better for him to live in America. An added bonus was he was a weapon in the Cuban exiles armoury to prove that people are risking their lives to flee Castro’s hell. Lost in all of this drama was the fact that the boy had a father who wanted him and whose rights were not negotiable. Nobody ever proved that the father was abusive to the boy and yet the story was allowed to grow more and more ridiculous.

Now eleven years old Elian seems to be a confident child but bearing the scars of the loss he suffered. Some parts of the interview appeared a bit contrived but I believe he wanted to be with his father. Naturally, the Miami faction believes that Elian was brainwashed and is merely spouting Castro’s rhetoric. Maybe he is, because after all Castro is taking quite the interest in the young boy.But,it is silly to believe that had Elian stayed in Miami he would not have been anti Castro. We would have been fed a steady diet of Elian proclaiming how great it is to be free whilst recounting the horrors of the 6 years he spent in Cuba. Oh yes, there would have been no saints there either.

Equally disturbing was the house where Elian lived in Miami has been turned into a shrine. I saw a closet filled with his clothes, stuffed toys lying around and the clincher is a huge cross adorning the closet from which he was taken. The whole theme of the room is bent on making a parallel between Elian and Jesus Christ. Meanwhile, in Cuba a bronze statue is erected outside of a museum in Cárdenas. You got to wonder if Elian will really ever be allowed to just be a child.


Comments:
He seems to be relatively well adjusted. That's all one can ask for.
 
The sad result of the media intrusion was that Eliane was destined to be a pawn for either side.
 
I saw that interview. He seemed a bit brainwashed to me.
 
I've often wondered about him...can't believe I missed it.
 
That was a sad situation. I wonder if he communicates with his Miami family.
 
I had forgotten about this little guy. Isn't it funny that something that was on the news repeatedly at one time is often forgotten when times passes? Someone mentioned the Million Man March today and I had forgotten all about it, LOL! I guess the media can talk about something so much you forget about it once it passes. I do wonder why he decided to speak now though...
 
I didn't even remember about him. Man that was a hell of a fracas back then. The amaerican media had a field day with that story. I hope the kid is really ok.
 
I guess it's another media hype thing. I came it went and it's back. Hope the child is OK though.
 
I'M BACK!
Thank you for your encouragements on my simple blog; couldn't seem to stay away.

I remember when the Elian story was all over the news; their now making him out to be a puppet for the State, poor kid.
 
What's really sad is that the boy had to end up being somebody's political pawn either way. I guess just being a kid was too much to ask.
 
That was one issue the U.S. handled right. Send the bwoy back home yes! They should have deported his family to Cuba too, seeing as how they were resisting the U.S. laws by not giving the boy up to his father.
 
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