Conexión Miami / Havanas, Little and big, in similar spot
Curious. Both in the real Havana and our Little Havana, street vendors have been told to disassemble their booths and take their crafts and other products elsewhere. On both sides of the Strait, they were ushered out by city inspectors and policemen. While the arguments used to remove them from the streets were different and the chances of settling the matter are different, right now the self-employed entrepreneurs are having the same problem: “Out and fuera.”
A young Cuban-American in Sochi
Eduardo (Eddy) Álvarez, son of Cuban émigrés and a member of the United States speed skating team at the Winter Olympics, was a decisive element in his team’s silver-medal performance in the 5,000-meter relay race. Congratulations. On his skates, he carried an image of the Cuban flag. Born in Miami in 1990, Eddy is a first-generation Cuban-American. He’s very fast and is sure to make a name for himself.
Sharks in Florida
Our state was the area of the world that recorded the largest number of shark attacks last year: 23. Thank God, none of the swimmers attacked was killed. But when it comes to the ambulatory sharks, those with white collars and sharp teeth designed for swift and deep bites, how does Florida stand in the nation’s roster? What else can we call those predators arrested for million-dollar Medicare swindles that have caused severe harm to the health of people and social ethics? And what can we say about the prehistoric sharks in politics? They are experts in the sale of favors, in making deals to procure contracts. These schools of sharks have gradually devoured the health of political life and people’s trust in a democratic coexistence. Our readers are aware of that and know them.
Arms With Ethics
That’s the name of a non-profit organization that is conducting a campaign to achieve NOT the elimination of firearms but their legal use from ethical standpoints. “The problem is that too many criminals carry firearms,” Carlos Giménez, Miami-Dade County mayor, told The Miami Herald. Giménez joined the campaign called Responsible Firearms Vendors. Some naive questions: How many criminals would be fewer than too many? Which figure would be acceptable, according to the statistics linking population, poverty and number of firearms? What vendor, in order to be responsible, would be willing to lose significant earnings? As to arms with ethics, do ethics, morality and values related to the existence of the weapons? What we should do, if no other way exists, is to fight with water pistols or paintball guns. Splat, splat, you lost.
Venezuela and the voters
Venezuela is going through a tragic, dramatic period of its history. Demonstrations, the torching of vehicles, the closing of streets and some eight lives lost. If the situation weren’t so painful and unpredictable, we might jest by saying that the country is on the News Hit Parade, with fake photos and videos. It is also in the sights of our politicians, who look for votes in the anxiety of others, because thousands of voters in Miami are Venezuelans. Seeking to attract those votes, well-known Congresspeople and would-be Congresspeople are proposing that the Venezuelan government be condemned, etc. I wonder and I ask you: Did you see any of those politicians speak out against the violent repression of the Occupy Wall Street demonstrators? Or against the explosive device detonated inside a travel-to-Cuba agency in Coral Gables in April 2012? It’s sad when, in any country, the ideology and politics of the victims are more important that the victims themselves. But that’s the way it is.
The Crist novelty
In a previous issue of The Miami Connection, we mentioned Charlie Crist, former governor and former Republican, now Democrat, because of his statements in favor of opening up to the island. Was he one of those struck by the Fanjul-bolt? Maybe. What’s interesting is that Charlie becomes the first candidate for governor of Florida who calls publicly (others do so privately) for a change in U.S. policy toward Cuba. That’s the novelty and could mean a watershed platform. We shall see.
