By Shirlee Smith, Los Angeles Times. Thursday, January 27, 2000
Where's the Rev. Jesse Jackson? And what about the good Rev. Al Sharpton? Aren't these two of the so-called black leaders who speak out when their people have been wronged?
How come they haven't come forward in the case of 6-year-old Elian Gonzalez? Is he the wrong color? Is he the wrong nationality? Maybe it's simply that these two loud mouths, who always claim to speak for black Americans, can't find any personal advantage in coming to the aid of a poor
father in Cuba who only wants our government to return his son home to Cuba by taking him away from the well-to-do and well-connected relatives living in Miami.
Where's the NAACP? Aren't they supposed to be concerned about people's rights?
Mariela Quintana and Raquel Rodriguez, Elian's Cuban grandmothers came to America last week to intensify pressure on the Clinton administration to speed up Elian's return and spark public sentiment in the U.S. for sending him home, according to a recent report in the Los Angeles Times.
Part of the visit was a meeting, arranged by officials with the National Council of Churches, with Attorney General Janet Reno and Doris Meissner, commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Service.
Meissner is the commissioner who weeks ago issued the recommendation that Elian be returned to his father.
But the exiled Cuban relatives in Miami went to court and under the direction of a judge, whose campaign some of the relatives had contributed to, the INS ruling took a back seat.
The madness continues with a handful of lawmakers now intending to pass legislation that will make Elian a U.S. citizen -- granting him political asylum -- thereby bouncing him into the laps and hands of his wayward, opportunistic and vindictive Miami relatives.
Why should this 6-year-old child be called to testify before the lawmakers? This is not democracy at work. This is not freedom.
Why should hatred for Cuban leader Fidel Castro be allowed to deprive a child of his father?
Why do Americans fail to act?
Why aren't we standing up and making a whole lot of noise?
Without Sharpton and Jackson can't Maxine Waters point a finger and say America is wrong? Can't Marian Wright-Edleman of the Children's Defense Fund come to the defense of this child?
I ask my friends about Elian and too many of them say, "Elian?" And too many of them continue by saying, "Elian who?"
Since my last column on the plight of the boy, I have heard from many readers who are angry about what's happening. But there is no rally for them to attend, no post office box listed for contributions, no bumper sticker to purchase and no particular color of ribbon to pin on their lapels.
"Everyone I heard from wasn't angry with the government for not returning the boy," Frank Ordonez of Pasadena complained in his e-mail message about my position. He said I should realize that "immigrants come here to enjoy the foothills, the snowtopped mountains, and luscious
beaches, basically a better place than wherever to escape the evil colonial mind-set that has affected this confused nation (Cuba)." Ordonez went on to say he had many friends from Cuba and all over South America who continually talk about America.
" ... You want this boy to go back to his father, ridiculous. You don't know what Fidel Castro's agenda is. He is mocking Americans like you who are involved in this matter. His power and dictatorship should not sway your judgment. He allows no freedom for his people."
Who in America is going to lead a parade when it comes to poor folk. I know we often think that's the role of the Rev. Jesse Jackson. But it seems he only takes up a cause for the underdog when there's something (dinero) in it for him.
Ain't nothing a poor father in Cuba can do for Jackson; he can't send a limousine to the airport for pickup and he can't pay for Jackson's next tailored suit.
Why weren't there hoards of well-wishers and supporters on hand when the Cuban grandmothers stepped off the jet plane last week, and where were the crowds when they drove to their meeting with Reno and the INS official at the Justice Department?
It is shameful to keep Elian Gonzalez in America. How dare the judicial system, known for the unfair treatment of minorities, take a stand against an immigration ruling and the government stand by with hands tied?
The reaction of the American people to this international misdeed is appalling. Forget about the black leadership who likes to yell and scream and look for white people who should also be making their voices heard; they are silent, also.
The National Council of Churches has moved in a positive manner and their actions are to be praised. There may be other organizations working behind the scene, and that is good.
But for the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who is always out front preaching keeping "hope alive," his absence on the front line for Elian speaks clearly of his limited concern for the downtrodden.
I'll wear a purple ribbon in support of sending the boy home. I'm willing to join the demonstration and carry a sign calling for placing Elian back in Cuba with his father. I'll send a letter to wherever.
Will public outcry make a difference?
Let's make a lot of noise and see if squeaky wheels still get the grease.
Copyright 2000 Los Angeles Times |