You Think It Can’t Happen Here?

This past July, I had the pleasure of sharing a July 4th backyard barbecue with several friends, one of whom is a refugee from Cuba. Our conversation was like any other. It began with a simple banter about the mundane things, such as, sports and the weather. It then rapidly progressed to various other topics, such as, the country and the direction it has taken since Barack Obama came to power. We shared the usual complaints about the sour economy and the liberal social engineering emanating from the rulers in Washington, D.C.

But then our Cuban guest made a comment which caused everyone to listen when he said: "You know, when Castro took power, many of us in Cuba did not think he was a Communist. Yes, we all thought he was a patriot, a nationalist. Before the revolution, he didn't sound like a radical at all."

At this point, I jokingly interrupted, "You mean just like Barack Obama?"

Unsure how he took my jest, he responded plainly, "Yes, just like Barack Obama." And then he went on to say: "We were all shocked when the government just continued to grab more power. First, we were told that the revolution was over, and we were told to turn in our guns. People willingly complied. Later on, I remember my uncle saying, 'Castro will only nationalize some of the big industries, he will never come and take our family hardware store.' But that is exactly what happened, Castro started with the sugar mills and the large industries. Then, one day, some government agents came and knocked at the door of our house attached to the hardware store which my family had owned and run for generations. I recall one agent telling my father, 'We now own your hardware store, and you work for us. This large four-bedroom home you own, it is now our property also, and you can move yourself and five children into two rooms of the house because others are moving in with you.' "

The lesson I learned from that Cuban refugee last July 4th barbecue discussion is a lesson many Americans somehow refuse to hear. It has been proven many times over that political leaders can talk about their impressive agenda but once in office they take totally unexpected turns.

If someone had told me three years ago that General Motors would be nationalized, I would have laughed and never believed it. Neither could I ever contemplate a country where the rule of law, the most fundamental building block of justice, would be evaporating in front of my very eyes, just like it did in Castro's Cuba in the early 1960s.

The news of injustice in the USA today keeps increasing. Black Panthers are not charged with wrongdoing by the U.S. Department of Justice because their crimes are against whites. The bondholders of GM are stripped of their assets without due process by the government. Government leaders are being bribed in broad daylight only to have investigation stifled by the U.S. Attorney General. The U.S. borders are overrun by crime and illegal activity but the leaders in Washington D.C. act as if it is more important to protect the lawbreakers while the innocent are being killed. When local communities attempt to enforce the law, they are ridiculed and labeled as racists and bigots, and they are even sued by the very administration and authority entrusted with enforcing the law.

The U.S. Constitution has been disregarded and violated, yet nothing has been done by the nation's leaders to stop the violation. Without the rule of law our beloved America is swiftly becoming a country where only the well-connected and politically powerful are safe. As Michelle Malkin stated: "A culture of corruption has replaced honest government."

It appears now that the only way this problem can be fixed is by massive citizen action. All honest citizens who want to be treated equally must come together and demand that the favoritism, the bribes, and the non-enforcement of law end now.

And yes, the experience of Cuba can happen here in the USA, if Americans continue their nonchalance and complacency. –Author Unknown