Miami Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen did something taboo in America: he spoke in positive terms of Fidel Castro, a leftist leader who defied the U.S. corporate agenda for decades. For daring to exercise his First Amendment rights, Guillen was raked over the proverbial coals and forced to issue an apology. When exactly did it become unlawful to speak one's mind in this country?
The fact is that, contrary to what the corporate-owned media has most Americans believing, and contrary to what capitalist Cuban exiles would have us believe, Castro is one of the more beloved figures in many parts of the world. Cuba under the Castro government has sent doctors, nurses, and medical equipment to nations around the world, exporting his country's excellent health care to the needy. His government also supported people fighting to break free from oppression, such as in apartheid South Africa, while the U.S. has installed and propped up brutal dictatorships from Pinochet in Chile to the Saudi monarch that have slaughtered thousands.
For daring to defend Castro against critics, Ozzie Guillen was ordered by his employers to grovel before the public and offer up an apology, lest he lose his job. Worse is that too many people in this country have no problem with that. Regardless of what one thinks of Fidel Castro — and there are undoubtedly legitimate claims of corruption during six decades in office, not to mention the suppression of internal dissent and not allowing democratic elections — the fact is that we are supposed to enjoy the freedom to say what is on our minds no matter how unpopular or distasteful.
When we target those who say things we don't like for punishment, we enable a frightening trend in this country toward a hideous double standard in which only a privileged few get to enjoy civil rights at all while everyone else is denied even the most basic ones conceived. Rather than punish Ozzie Guillen for stating his opinion, we should be protecting his right to express it.
A good read on this subject may be found on Black Agenda Report's web site.
http://blackagendareport.com/content/fidel-castro-and-ozzie-guillen-evasion-truth
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Comments
It used to be played, much like a jazz quintet, with five people working in concert (so to speak). Now, like so much of american society, it's all a me, me,me game.
Nevertheless, I wanted to stop by and voice my disapproval of this archaic, cruel, and inane boycott of a country, that despite whatever its difficulties may be, STILL manages to send doctors to treat others in foreign lands far more than america, and at one time lead the world in such an endeavor.
-R-
This has been reported in a low profile manner and probably not at all in many parts of the country.
If we had a diverse and sincere democracy they would enable the public to participate in the interview process with as little organizational input from the media as required and they would give a minimum time to all candidates in the race or give the public more information on where to go for this information. This could and should include going down the list of presidential candidates at Project Vote Smart.
By refusing to give sincere candidates any coverage they clearly indicate that they don't want democracy.
America stopped being a democracy decades ago.