Letter: Not all Cuban Americans forget their past

I am deeply grateful to the Miami Herald for publishing the Sept. 15 OpEd, “I’m a Cuban American who loves our democracy. I’m voting for Joe Biden,” by Luis Santeiro of ¿Qué Pasa, USA? fame.

At least a few of us Cuban exiles still remember two bitter lessons that should be indelible in our psyche, but appear to be forgotten by most. First, that communism and fascism are opposite sides of the same coin. Second, to preserve democracy, a nation must have an informed electorate that is intolerant of corruption and zealous about protecting its constitution.

Yet, what is Miami’s response to President Trump’s repeated violations of the law? What have exiles said in response to Trump’s blatant disrespect toward men like John McCain, or our troops buried at Belleau Wood in France? What has been the response to Trump’s attacks on the FBI, CIA, the judiciary, or the undermining of our international obligations, particularly threats from Russia? Or to Trump’s efforts to incite racist or election-related conflict?

All have been met with a cynical shrug. This from people who should know better, but have overwhelmingly chosen to get their scant knowledge from radio gossip and Facebook. These flippant gestures are often followed by a comment that provides blanket exoneration for all the president’s misdeeds: The economy is doing well.

That, too, is a familiar refrain. Many of our fathers and grandfathers made that same comment in 1952, when Fulgencio Batista carried out a coup and destroyed Cuba’s constitutional democracy.

Yes, the economy was doing well before and after the coup, so they looked the other way. But in the process, Batista’s selfish and unlawful act set in motion all the forces that eventually made the rise of Fidel Castro inevitable.

How could we so easily forget?

Antonio Gonzalez,

Miami