Sunday, January 15, 2017

We Have to Take Responsibility for Our Own Land

We Have to Take Responsibility for Our Own Land… / Somos+

Somos+, 14 January 2017 — Forty-eight hours have passed since we have
officially declared ourselves, as a movement, with regards to the
elimination of the "Wet foot/Dry foot" policy. There is a reason for
that: We do not want to say anything without, at least, consulting the
National Council and the greatest possible number of active members.
Also, it was prudent to read and listen to all the explanations to
correctly understand the scope of the measure.

Today we affirm that, in the long term, we consider it positive for Cuba
as a country, a nation and a homeland.

We are deeply pained by the situation of thousands of Cubans stranded in
distant countries, almost all of us have some family member in this
situation. We know their expenses have been huge as have their
sacrifices. But logic tells us that the departure of the all the people
of Cuba will not fix the problems that face us.

On the contrary, to the extent that the already limited number of
energetic and dissatisfied youth leave the island, the ability to
rebuild our society is ever more distant, starting from the profound
changes which can only be driven by millions of people determined to
take control of the reins of the nation.

Many argue for the exceptionality of the political situation of Cubans,
we among them. But it was precisely the thousands of Cubans traveling
through Latin American who are leaving us alone in this thesis, because
when we put our cameras in front of people they always say the same
thing: "We are not leaving because of political problems, but to improve
our economic situation."

Some even throw in slogans in support of Fidel and Raul, or proudly show
off tattoos with images of the creators of the system in which they
cannot support themselves. It was these images that convinced a great
share of international public opinion that there is no difference
between Cuban emigrants and those from the rest of the continent. So?

In our opinion, if this attitude had been put into practice 20 years
ago, or never existed (as it doesn't exist in many former-Soviet
controlled countries), another rooster (or hen) would be singing today
in Cuba — that is, everything would be different.

If doctors are treated like modern slaves, they should unionize with or
without permission, and no longer accept this business model that is a
thorn in their sides. Those serving on "missions" abroad can take
advantage of the ability to use social media and their access to the
news media to unite in a just fight for their rights.

If young people don't have opportunities, they also should join together
in their institutes and universities and peacefully express their
demands. Do no accept that some gentlemen who have lost all contact with
reality have condemned them to material and spiritual poverty for the
rest of their lives.

If parents do not see a future for their children, demand changes in the
educational system so that the children will be prepared to be 21st
century citizens. Do not let the authorities use their children as
instruments of political propaganda and do not teach them, at home, to
remain silent and bear up "until we can leave."

We will probably sound harsh, weird, evil, like oddballs, in the midst
of this whole wave of more or less justifiable sentimentality, but with
full honesty, we are tired of this sick and victimizing mentality that
describes us as the mental and political underdogs of the world, which
we are not.

We are comforted by the idea of expressing this opinion from here. We
hope that with time this measure will contribute to more of our
compatriots taking responsibility for our land, wherever they are. Our
entire family cannot move to the neighbor's house, much less because we
don't like "our own parents"? Because those gentlemen are not our
parents, not even our friends or allies… they are common people like you
and me and can and should be exchanged, dismissed, replaced, expelled
from their jobs if this house doesn't work. And… it doesn't work.

Let us stay and fix our own house. Together, we will be more.

Somos+ (We Are More) National Council

Havana

14 January 2016

Source: We Have to Take Responsibility for Our Own Land… / Somos+ –
Translating Cuba -
http://translatingcuba.com/we-have-to-take-responsibility-for-our-own-land-somos/

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