Courtesy of michaelmoore.com

 

 

March 31, 2000

A Letter of Apology to Elian Gonzalez from Michael Moore

 

 

Dear Elian,

 

Please forgive me for writing to you in English. Three semesters of Spanish, and I can't remember a thing!

 

Also, please forgive us Americans for standing back and allowing the child abuse you are now experiencing. Normally, in this country, we arrest adults who put children through trauma and exploitation. Normally, we arrest adults like the Mayor of Miami who call for violence and incite a riot. Normally, in this country, we arrest terrorists and either jail or deport them.

 

Unfortunately for you, we are doing none of this. I apologize. I can only imagine what you are going through. You do not deserve this treatment.

 

You are being told that your mother died trying to bring you to freedom. I am so sorry to have to tell you, that's not true. The Cuban court granted your father custody of you, and your mother decided to kidnap you. She placed your life in horrible jeopardy by putting you in a leaky, overcrowded raft that eventually sank, killing everyone except you and two others. History is filled with many people who risked their lives escaping to another country because, had they stayed, they would have been imprisoned or killed.

 

That's not what happened in the case of your mother. Her life was not in jeopardy. Her son -- you -- was in no danger. The worst that could be said is that, in Cuba, you were in jeopardy of receiving free health care whenever you needed it, an excellent education in one of the few countries that has 100% literacy, and a better chance of your baby brother being born and making it to his first birthday than if he had been born in Washington, DC.

 

The truth is your mother and her boyfriend snatched you and put you on that death boat because they simply wanted to make more money. I can understand why they wanted a better life. Cuba is a poor country. America, from 90 miles away, looks like a rich country. The majority of people who have sailed to this country in the past have come for the same reason. Often, they have come because they did not like living in a country, such as Cuba, where you cannot freely elect your president and your basic rights are limited. I can understand that.

 

But your mother placed you in a situation where you were certain to die on the open seas (as most of the rest did) and that is unconscionable. It was the ultimate form of child abuse, and I see now why the Cuban judge did not give your mother custody.

 

Now you are with "relatives" in Miami. Normally, in this country, when we say, "I'm going to stay with the relatives," we mean brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents.

 

You are with a "great-uncle" and a "second cousin." It's not that they aren't blood-related, but, let's face it, in our country they and the third cousins-once removed are usually not sitting at the Thanksgiving table and are only rarely heard from when they need bail money or part of the inheritance. But in our country, no "relative" replaces the parent. A brother, cousin or "great-uncle" who holds a child against the will of the parent is committing a major crime.

 

You must really miss your daddy! I hear he's coming soon. Those "relatives" are trying to prevent him from being with you. I know, that doesn't feel like love, does it? Please don't take it personally. They do love you. They love having you to toss around in front of the TV cameras so they can further their own political agenda.

 

You are only six, so I know you can't understand what all of the politics are about. That's okay. Some day, you will. In time, you'll read how these former Cubans, who are abusing you, instead of staying in Cuba and fighting for freedom like our ancestors did for this country in 1776, they turned tail and ran to Miami. Once here, they began demanding that we Americans fight their fight for them.

 

What did we do?

 

Something stupid! We fought their fight for them! We based our entire foreign policy in this hemisphere on one thing -- eliminating Castro. We tried to assassinate him. We sent "troops" to invade at the Bay of Pigs. We prevented medicine and food from being shipped to Cuba. When I was nearly your age, we almost blew up the world over Cuba and Castro. Can you believe that? We had become as insane as those ex-Cubans in Miami!

 

And we've stayed that way for forty years. We're still wacked-out over Cuba. Last year, we fined an American citizen $10,000 because he went down to Cuba to tune pianos! It's illegal in this "free" country to travel there. Loopy, huh? We've been driven crazy 'cause that we still can't get rid of Fidel Castro. He's out-lived nine of our presidents!

 

We have allowed these ex-Cubans with the yellow stripe down their backs to operate numerous terrorist missions from South Florida. These same ex-Cubans were the ones who broke into a place called Watergate (that eventually brought down a president), ran drugs for arms operations (that brought down a popularly-elected government in Nicaragua), and, according to some Americans, were behind the assassination of our president, John Kennedy (that puts us on a slippery slope we're still sliding down).

 

Now, these very ex-Cubans who were afraid to stand and fight Castro have suddenly found the courage to fight...us! That's right, they have made it clear that they will fight, with violence, any federal officers or troops who are sent in to enforce our laws (those outrageous ones which say a son should be with his father).

 

And you are caught in the middle of all this. I am so sorry. I wish there was something I could personally do. I will write to our Attorney General and tell her to stop this child abuse. I will encourage others to do the same. I wish I could convince our vice-president (who's running for president) to help, but he too has decided to abuse you by using you for his own political gain. The governor of the state you're in, Jeb Bush, is the brother of a man running for president. He wants to use/abuse you, too. I just want you to know that 80% of the country doesn't like either of these men.

 

I guess that's the silver lining in your little cloud. The majority of Americans are sickened by the way you are being treated. Please understand that bad things are often done in our name and with our money and there is little we can do, as the choices on our ballots are nearly as slim as the choices your father has on his.

 

It's not easy being six -- anywhere in the world. I know this all too well. My country, the one your mother thought you should be living in, allows its six-year olds access to guns, and a little six-year old girl in my hometown was killed last month by another six-year old. This is the world we adults have created for you. This is the world I promise to do my best, in my own small way, to change.

 

I pray you'll be playing catch soon with your wonderful, loving daddy on a Cuban baseball diamond. By the time you're 18, long after Castro and the Bushes and all this nonsense is gone, maybe you can come back to America on your own free will.

 

The Tigers, I can assure you, will still be in desperate need of some good pitching.

 

Yours,

Michael Moore

MMFlint@aol.com

Free healthcare and 100% literacy rate? Sounds like a great place to live in, we should trade in michael moore to Castro for a few hardworking cubans looking for a better life

Go move to Cuba michael...oh yeah, their "free healthcare" and "100% literacy" are probably more overrated than Derek Jeter...and that's hard to do.

Many cuban Americans will disagree for saying this but there far worst places than Cuba.At least health care is free and you get something to eat(At least they don't hungry the whole month even the ration only last 2 days.).

Many cuban Americans will disagree for saying this but there far worst places than Cuba.At least health care is free and you get something to eat(At least they don't hungry the whole month even the ration only last 2 days.).

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I agree with you, there are places worse than Cuba, but that doesnt mean that the quality of life in cuba is good, and it defintely isnt better in cuba than it is in the USA

Many cuban Americans will disagree for saying this but there far worst places than Cuba.At least health care is free and you get something to eat(At least they don't hungry the whole month even the ration only last 2 days.).

466561[/snapback]

 

I agree with you, there are places worse than Cuba, but that doesnt mean that the quality of life in cuba is good, and it defintely isnt better in cuba than it is in the USA

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I never said it was.I'm just sharing my point of view on Cuba.Is not as bad most Cuban picture to be.Many of my Cuban americans friends agree with me.

Michael Moore, Rush, and John Mccain should go on a concert tour because there's no three other men who would bend over backwards more for free pub and to appear to be a bold thinker.

*thinks of Charlie Daniels*

 

What makes Michael Moore such a quotable man? :shifty

The Tigers, I can assure you, will still be in desperate need of some good pitching. 466493[/snapback]

 

That is one of the few intelligent things I saw.

As i have come to learn in the past weeks, free health care sucks. Most people in canada come to the US for their operations, because supposedly the facilities aren't as good, and the doctors also, are not as good.

As i have come to learn in the past weeks, free health care sucks. Most people in canada come to the US for their operations, because supposedly the facilities aren't as good, and the doctors also, are not as good.

 

 

That's a lie that's constantly repeated over-and-over by conservatives on the internet. Most people in Canada are more than happy with their free healthcare.

As i have come to learn in the past weeks, free health care sucks. Most people in canada come to the US for their operations, because supposedly the facilities aren't as good, and the doctors also, are not as good.

 

 

That's a lie that's constantly repeated over-and-over by conservatives on the internet. Most people in Canada are more than happy with their free healthcare.

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Yeah! Take that, bitch.

ALL I know is this: there are larger waiting lists, lesser quality, and high inefficient costs.

 

well, we're like that too, but without the waiting list.

:banghead Michael!!!! Why do you have to be such a commie some times.

 

Even if the Cuban court gave the father the costudy, it doesn't make it right. I am almost 100% sure that they gave the costudy to the father because he is a suck up to the government of Cuba. Anyway that is besides the point. The mother wanted to have her child have a better life here in the US, that is not a crime.

 

One thing I dislike about this whole Elian thing is that the child was in the middle of this political battle between the Island and the Cubans in Miami. Castro's only interest was to stick it to the "Mafia Cubana" and the Miami Cubans wanted to stick it to Castro... No one stopped to ask Elian if he wanted to be with his daddy or with his tios in Miami. He was 7 years old, old enough to decide who he wanted to be with.

he said he wanted to stay in america...but kids can be told to say anything for JELL-O pudding...mmm, pudding.

the only thing i agree with him about (i didnt read the whole thing) is the relatives and the cuban community using the kid for the publicity but the rest is just laughable. thats pretty much where i stopped.

As i have come to learn in the past weeks, free health care sucks. Most people in canada come to the US for their operations, because supposedly the facilities aren't as good, and the doctors also, are not as good.

 

 

That's a lie that's constantly repeated over-and-over by conservatives on the internet. Most people in Canada are more than happy with their free healthcare.

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you can't ever win in this subject, when i was saying how america should have free health care, people on the boards were like "YEAH BUT FREE HEALTH CARE SUCKS! AND BLA BLA I KNOW EVERYTHING YOU JACKASS!"

 

and i looked it up, and did research and asked some doctors at the florida hospital when my brother was getting sugery...and he confirmed what i said.

 

 

Now, i come back and change my stance...and i get someone to say "and theyre happy with it" Well, I don't know that for a fact and neither do you. f*** the world and f*** people. I love everybody and I'm hungry.

i agree with you Maniac....

 

I like how you did research (by looking up stuff, and asking doctors)...remember that your opinion shouldnt be to please others...if you believe it, stick by it, unless you find something that changes your mind...but not because you may be the only one (hell cyberlina is a damn commie--Americans hate commies!--, and doesn't change her position a bit... :lol j/p lina)...

 

i do agree that free health care is NOT the answer.

 

I think I read on here or somewhere else where someone likened doctors in a free health care system to teachers now. I think that's about right.

Well, i wish my brothers surgery was....DRUM ROLL PLEASE

 

 

21,107 $

 

 

FOR FINGER SUGERY! WTF! All they had to do was recconect a tendon! 21 GRAND!?

 

 

And the insurance is only going to cover less than half. We got the 1st bill, 725$

they rip you off....but that's capitalism! You need it done, so you'll pay what has to be done.

 

It sucks when you're on one end, it's great when you're on the other end...

 

now, i know there are many variables involved to make costs like that so high, but I know I'd be having a guilty conscience charging that much for surgery.

Sure you're covered by the government in Cuba, but there is no chance of being ridiculousy successful.

Healthcare isn't free to everyone in Cuba, BTW, neither is the education. Dissidents on the island are banned from the education and healthcare system. and if they do they get poor service and sometimes made sicker. the education is of poor quality. That's communism for you.

 

f*** you, Fidel, Stalin, Che Guevera, Krushchev and other Commie f***ers who have slaughtered millions.

f*** the surgeon who decided he needs 21 grand for a 2 hour operation. Seriously, 21 Grand. FOR A FINGER.

i saw michael moore at conan o'brien.. he really is a fat slob.

ALL I know is this: there are larger waiting lists, lesser quality, and high inefficient costs.

 

well, we're like that too, but without the waiting list.

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Talk to some actual Canadians, they'll tell you differently. They're quite happy with their system.