Dear Mr. Wickham

I sent the letter below to DeWayne Wickham in response to his ridiculous editorial found here.

Dear Mr. Wickham,

Do you REALLY want to know what would repair relations between Cuba and the U.S.?

If the world's longest-ruling dictator, Fidel Castro, stepped down.
If all of Cuba's political prisoners were released.
If Cuba acknowledged and adhered to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights rather jailing people who are caught possessing it.
If there were free multi-party elections.
If there was freedom to associate and freedom to join labor unions and other normal groups found in a healthy civil society.
If Cubans had the same rights in their country as foreign visitors.
If Cubans were allowed to move freely throughout their country.
If Cuba agreed to extradite the dozens of criminals it currently harbors to the countries where they are wanted.

There's no spinning the truth. Cuba is an enemy of the United States because that's the way Fidel Castro wants it. Every time there has been even the slightest thawing of relations between the countries Castro sabotages it and returns to his old ways. Since none of the above conditions will ever be met while Fidel Castro is still alive then we're just going to have to wait. Because, while he may outlast many Presidents of the United States, he won't outlast the United States itself. This is another fact that is not lost on Fidel. He knows the second he dies, the wheels will be in motion towards Cuba's free and democratic future. And the thought drives him crazy. Sure the sycophants around him will try to maintain the status quo because their future depends on it, but like all madmen dictators there's an element of genius to Castro that isn't easily replicated. Cuba would be closer to freedom today if people like yourself stopped pretending that that there is a moral equivalency between Cuba and the United States. Baseball is a wonderful sport. It's actually my favorite but baseball isn't going to heal the Cuban people or wake them from this 47 year nightmare.

Have a Wonderful Day.

Henry L. Gomez