Common U.S. conception of Cuba is misconstrued EDITOR:

Common U.S. conceptionof Cuba is misconstruedEDITOR:
U.S. State Department officials maintained May 14 that last week's ouster of 14 Cuban diplomats from Washington, D.C., and New York were "related strictly to the activities the individuals engaged in", (alleged espionage and spying) and the product of active FBI investigations. Yet, in an article appearing in the May 15 New York Times, a senior FBI official denied any such action being recommended by the bureau.
The reality of the matter is that these actions are purely political and, as stated by the same FBI official, made "at the highest levels" in the State Department and the White House. Something doesn't make sense here, does it?
The decision by the Bush administration to punish the Castro regime for its recent crackdown on dissidents is beyond unwarranted. The actions of the Cuban government are an effective means for dealing with in-house criminal activity. Last month's execution of three ferry hijackers in Havana should not be portrayed to the U.S. people as the barbaric actions of an oppressive regime, but instead as what it actually was -- the carrying out of the Cuban penal code based upon a criminal offense and the corresponding punishment. To the best of my knowledge, the United States does not look sympathetically on would-be hijackers who endanger the lives of its citizens either (example, Richard Reed).
As someone who has traveled to Havana on a U.S. Treasury Department license in the past month, I must say that the common U.S. conception about what is "really" going on in Cuba is vastly misconstrued. In private conversations with Cuban citizens, I found that none had anything cross to say about the current government or President Fidel Castro. Some pointed out differences in opinion with the regime over certain policy procedures (mostly economic), but none were anti-Castro. There was no oppressive atmosphere where free speech is nonexistent. While the press and other media outlets are state controlled, Cubans still speak their mind and do so with a great deal of fervor.
The Bush administration must be careful in determining a new policy toward U.S.-Cuban relations. The current sanctions against Cuba are the failed attempts of former U.S. administrations to create an environment on the island that is conducive to American influence. Cuba certainly poses no more of a threat to the national security of the United States than Mexico or Canada. In fact, it is probably less when considering the channels for illegal immigration and illicit narcotics trafficking that both leave open on our borders.
While by U.S. standards Cubans are extremely disadvantaged economically and politically, they are not so disadvantaged when compared to the rest of Latin America or other non-First World countries. Before The Vindicator decides to print any more editorials condemning the current Cuban regime, maybe they should send a reporter on a tour of not only Cuba but the rest of Latin America. Moreover, open your history books and learn about the horrors of the regime that was in place prior to the Cuban Revolution. I guarantee you would not only be shocked, but have a whole new outlook on the current Cuban government.
ALEX S. BILCHAK
Youngstown
Removing Thomas' photomight be an improvement
EDITOR:
Every time I read Cal Thomas' article and see his photo, I am reminded of Robert Ingersoll's description of John Calvin: "Calvin was of a pallid complexion, thin, sickly, irritable, gloomy, impatient, egotistic, tyrannical, heartless and infamous. He was a strange compound of revengeful morality, malicious forgiveness, ferocious charity, egotistic humility and a kind of hellish justice."
Perhaps eliminating his photo might improve the palatability of his words.
AL BLAZO
Youngstown