Opinion Piece in the Asheville Citizen-Times

Sunday, August 15, 2021

       In recent weeks I have read opinion pieces on Cuba in the AC-T from three nationally syndicated columnists, representing a range of ideological perspectives. While they each had a different angle and reason for writing, I found it curious that they shared a basic opinion on the Cuban government: the progressive Leonard Pitts wrote about its "reign of communist repression," a "deadly dictatorship" that "stomps upon the rights and even the humanity of its people" (7/18).  The liberal Eugene Robinson wrote that "there is nothing remotely progressive about the thuggish, oppressive, Neo-Stalinist government of Cuba" (7/17). And the conservative Cal Thomas derides the famed literacy rate of Cuba, claiming that "all they're allowed to read is communist propaganda" (7/25). What strikes me about all three of these derisions is that they are not remotely close to the actual reality in Cuba as I have lived and experienced it over the past several years. 

To Leonard Pitts, I would say that while many of my Cuban friends have legitimate complaints about government bureaucracy and mismanagement, I have never heard any of them refer to it as a "dictatorship." I was reminded of a time a few years ago when a Cuban pastor visited us here in Asheville, and went to speak to a high school civics class. A student asked what it was like to live under a dictatorship, and she replied with dismay that they did not have a dictator, they had an elected President and Prime Minister, an elected National Assembly which counted among its members a Baptist pastor who had been her mentor and a Christian ethicist who had taught her in seminary. She went on to explain how each of the levels of government work, down to the neighborhood level, where she participates in local governance. As for "stomping on human rights," the newly adopted Cuban constitution, approved by over 90% of the people, assures a wide range of human rights that goes beyond our own Constitution. 

To Eugene Robinson, I would respond that we have observed and experienced quite a number of progressive achievements over the years we have lived and worked in Cuba. To name but a few: the Occupy Wall Street folks would appreciate knowing that the gap between rich and poor is narrow in Cuba; there is a sense of shared solidarity among the people with little or no opportunity for amassing obscene concentrations of wealth. The Black Lives Matter movement would appreciate knowing that Cuba's highest level of government includes 3 black vice-presidents, or that they could go into any hospital and see a much higher percentage of black doctors than we find here, or go to the orchestra and see a much more visible presence of black violinists and cellists, or walk through any neighborhood without fear of violence or profiling. The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence would appreciate knowing that children in Cuba have no fear of school shootings or drive-by shootings. Healthcare-NOW would appreciate seeing that, despite all the shortages attributed to our economic embargo, Cuba's health care system boasts a range of health indicators that are superior to the US, from infant mortality to life expectancy to per capita physicians. 

Finally, to Cal Thomas' ludicrous statement about literacy in Cuba, I wish he could visit Cuba during the annual Book Fair, which is one of the nation's most celebrated events, starting in Havana and traveling through every province. He would be hard-pressed to find the "communist section" of books! Cubans love to read, and are the most widely-read people I have ever known, no matter their profession. I loved to visit Anabel, a slaughterhouse worker, and hear about her love of José Martí's poetry (as do all Cubans). I loved to visit Luis, a retired teacher, and hear him talk about the latest African American novel he had devoured. I loved hearing Lázaro quote from his favorite classic mystics like Saint John of the Cross. I loved listening to Paco, a prison chaplain, describe the influence of Martin Luther King on his life. I love hearing Wanda, a community center director, tell stories from her favorite author, the Indian spiritual leader Tony de Mello. To say they only read communist propaganda is itself a cheap piece of propaganda that the Cuban people do not deserve. The three nationally syndicated columnists would do well to actually get to know some Cuban people before berating them so.