Ukrainian Easter eggs.
April has just
whizzed by. A lot has been happening in my own life and around the world. Various
circumstances have delayed this posting, making it rather long. I apologize
again for any errors, but I simply must post it immediately before feeling the
need to comment on any new event in my life or in the wider world. Have run into a lot of problems with this posting, so beg your indulgence, but must not wait any longer.
My granddaughter spent Easter in Greece at the invitation of a group of female friends.
Then my granddaughter and her son visited me earlier this week.
Is the internet boon or bane? Right now, I’m posting this very blog entry via the internet. It’s not being printed out and mailed anywhere, though sometimes I do print out portions to mail to my sister, who refuses to connect. My blog reaches folks all over the world, including friends in Asia and Africa. Recently, I became concerned about a longtime Honduran associate who failed to respond to frequent e-mails, someone hospitalized recently with severe Covid. Fearing he might have succumbed to the disease, again via email, I asked another friend living in Honduras to call him. It was a huge relief to learn that he is back at work, just experiencing computer problems, so thanks internet.
A kind friend and neighbor gave me her previous I-phone after she upgraded to a new model. I’m still experimenting with how to use it, but will find it especially useful when traveling or away from a computer. I’m very grateful to her for even thinking of me.
I’m getting pretty tired of letters and calls to my private phone number offering—almost demanding--to buy my house, often for “all cash.” Then where am I supposed to go, pray tell? Sorry, folks, my home is not for sale. After more than half a century here, I’d rather just stay put. Perhaps callers, knowing how long I’ve lived in our very convenient neighborhood, are thinking that I’m probably not long for this world, so should simply move on and move out to give them a chance. They’ll get their chance, just be patient, I’m not dead yet. I’ve noted a couple of errors in real estate profiles of my home’s interior, but won’t specify which. Why are such speculations even being circulated? It’s nobody else’s business!
Here in the District of Columbia, where I’ve lived for more than 50 years, we still have taxation without full political representation—without voting members of Congress and subjected to Congressional overrides of local initiatives by Republicans elected by voters in other states. Since our party registration is more than 90% Democratic, Republicans are not about to let us have voting rights. Most citizens living elsewhere aren’t even aware that we are disenfranchised, as I discovered in my travels. Wyoming and Vermont, with smaller populations than the District and 2 senators each, have more say over our affairs than those of us actually living here.
Sometimes what happens in this neighborhood
is upsetting, not only such big events like the Jan. 6 storming of the capitol by
Trump supporters, which we personally witnessed, but also acts of solitary protest,
like this one which ended in a man’s voluntary death. How an
activist's self-immolation exposed the dark reality of 'climate grief' Wynn Bruce died after setting himself on fire in front of
the Supreme Court. It prompted discussions about the mental toll of climate
change.
AP, Suspect found dead after
shooting 4, causing panic in DC
Fortunately, all victims have non-life-threatening
injuries, including a 12-year-old girl shot in the arm, still a very scary event
and too close for comfort.
The Washington DC, football team recently changed its name to the Commanders, after Redskins was deemed offensive to Native Americans. However, a 3-syllable name like Commanders doesn’t roll easily off the tongue, sounding rather awkward when calling out an exciting play-by-play.
As of Easter Sunday, 986,000 US deaths
had been attributed to Covid. Our country is well on the way to a world record
of 1 million Covid deaths. America always strives to be first. A vaccinated VP
Kamala Harris has tested positive for Covid now without showing any symptoms,
but still may be contagious, so she must isolate.
HuffPost, Republicans Cheer As Congressional Candidate Demands Fauci’s Execution By Firing Squad That was Oklahoma GOP chair John Bennett, who is running for Congress. Dr. Fauci has to have 24-hour guards at his home because of such threats.
Is age really just a number? At my age now, I’d certainly like to think so. My friend in Vermont whose mother lived to age 107 found the last few years, especially those after 100, to have been rather burdensome not only for her family, but for the woman herself. However, she was still able to talk with me by phone and to write a thank-you note in her own hand for gifts I was sent each year for her birthday. Now, Kane Tanaka, the world's oldest person, has died in Japan at age 119. She was the second oldest person ever recorded, behind only Frenchwoman Jeanne Calment who lived to age 122.
LA Times,
Feinstein defends herself amid new questions about her capabilities in Senate
job
California
Senator Diane Feinstein, age 88, in the Senate now
for 26 years, has defended her ability to represent the interests of California
voters and insists she has no plans to retire. Is her competence being
questioned solely because of her age, or is she actually showing serious memory
deficits? Her current term ends in Jan 2025. And will she run again?
On the
Republican side, also age 88, is Senator Charles Grassley, whose term is up now and who has announced plans to run
again this year.
Others in the senior ranks include President Biden, who will be 80 later this year, McConnell and Sanders, both 80 already, Pelosi age 82, and Maxine Waters, 83. South Carolina’s Strom Thurmond, the oldest senator ever, served until age 100, dying a few months after retiring. He started out as a Democrat but switched over to the Republican Party to support racial segregation.
Up and
coming much younger people now include a new Catholic bishop.
People,
Youngest Bishop in the U.S. — a New Yorker Who Raps! — Initially Ignored
Vatican Before Picking Up 6th Call
He is Joseph Espaillat, age 45, whose last name is a familiar one in the Dominican Republic,
though originating in Spain’s Catalán region. I know many
members of the Espaillat family now living in the DR. Among their forebears was a Dominican president and a school and a street in the capital, Santo
Domingo, carry the family name. Several family members have also been active in
New York state business and politics, including Harlem Congressman Adriano Espaillat, born in the DR and also once an undocumented immigrant.
Afghan evacuees in Washington
region struggle with rent after running out of aid
With
federal aid expiring and resettlement groups overwhelmed, some have not found
jobs and others are not making enough to afford their new homes.
I’ve given shelter to many refugees and overseas visitors and have a large old house, not exactly in pristine condition, but fully furnished. Living together has been a heartening and educational experience for both sides. However, now in my senior years, for the very first time, I’m living alone and don’t feel I have the energy any more to host others. I wish I could help Afghan refugees or perhaps Ukrainian refugees. Maybe I’ll get a second wind?
Joe Manchin has been exerting one-man veto power over the Democratic agenda.
AP,
Trump's Oz, Vance endorsements bring cash windfall, backlash
Donald Trump often fails to consult with local Republicans before making an endorsement that brings in a cash windfall to candidates he favors, but can trigger a backlash from local party members.
Trump has again boasted
about how he “aced” a cognitive test in 2018, the same simple test I’ve taken myself
as a screening for dementia. How smart is that?
Mr. Trump’s continuing allegations of a stolen election have taken a firm hold among too many voters, with some 60% of white evangelicals still believing the 2020 election actually was “stolen.” It was ingenious of Trump to have come up with the myth of a stolen election, never mind how it could possibly have occurred against a sitting president, unless he was totally incompetent. No other presidential loser in history had ever tried that ploy before. When Trump has lost, instead of admitting defeat like a man, he simply says he really won. And his followers still believe him!
Politico, A New York judge held Donald Trump in contempt for failing to
supply financial documents related to an investigation into his businesses. The
former president will be fined $10,000 a day until he complies.
Mr. Trump has
been pretty successful with boldly lying and cheating his whole life, including getting
a draft deferral for “bone spurs,” having someone else take his college exams,
and just dismissing as “locker room talk” his bragging about grabbing “pussy.”
His properties are valued high when for sale, but low for tax purposes.
Florida Gov. Ron
DeSantis is trying to out-Trump the former president in a competition for
the 2024 presidential nomination with his hairbrained schemes. DeSantis is always
photographed wearing a puzzled squinting frown, as if trying to remember
something. What did he forget?
DeSantis has now squared off against Disneyworld, a major tourist attraction in his state, for opposing his “don’t say gay” bill. If the theme park actually moved from his state, DeSantis would be in big trouble.
Meanwhile, Texas Governor Greg Abbott finally gave up on his border truck stoppage caprice after its negative economic impact drew outrage even from his business supporters. But he’s still busing undocumented folks to Washington, DC, who are actually glad for the ride and are being welcomed by DC volunteers; over 150 have taken him up on the offer so far.
The UK’s Boris Johnson’s announcement about sending asylum seekers to Rwanda is another wacky plan.
A horrific crime that has galvanized the nation occurred in a small Wisconsin town. There a boy of 14 (my great-grandson’s age) carried out the cruel premeditated rape and murder of a 10-year-old neighbor girl, someone he actually knew. He has been charged as an adult, being held under a $1 million bond. Because he is a minor, he cannot be executed. As a parent myself, I feel both for his parents and for the family of the murdered child.
AP, Prosecutor:
Teen planned rape, killing of Wisconsin girl
BBC, A court in military-ruled Myanmar has found former leader Aung
San Suu Kyi guilty of corruption, the latest verdict in a series of secret
trials.
Ms Suu Kyi has been under house arrest since February 2021 when a military coup ousted her elected government. The 76-year-old Nobel laureate has been charged with a raft of criminal offences including voter fraud. This is a fraud all right, one being committed by the Burmese military. Suu Kyi once visited us here in Washington, DC.
Miami Herald, 67 migrants spotted off Florida Keys in one afternoon are returned to Cuba
POLITICO, Biden to comply with
forthcoming order to keep Covid border restrictions in place https://www.politico.com/news/2022/04/26/biden-to-comply-with-forthcoming-order-to-keep-title-42-in-place-00027904
Biden would probably be just as glad to comply and not open the
floodgates. It’s been hard enough even with them being kept closed. The order would require the
Biden administration to work out a plan with Republican states, a tough
challenge.
(What is it that eager border crossers expect when they step over that magic
line?)
Fox News, Rep. Higgins implores Mayorkas to resign over border crisis: 'Save the country the pain of your impeachment'
"You have been called upon to resign by myself and
others. Next year, if we have the majority, which we shall, you will face
impeachment. I ask you as a man, own this thing," Higgins said.
Higgins, a Republican from Louisiana, performing for the cameras, hurled a slew of insults at
Mayorkas, who gave only a measured reply, "Congressman, I couldn't
disagree with you more when you state that our nation's sovereignty is
disintegrating.” Donald Trump has given Republican lawmakers license to be
verbally abusive. Can a Homeland Security secretary actually be impeached? What
does that mean? Do chest-thumping right-wingers like Higgins really believe
what they are saying? And what about extremist pundits like Tucker Carlson? Does he truly believe his own words, or is all an act? He’s paid a
high salary for boldly shooting his mouth off. His listeners wish they could do
the same.
Republican leaders and candidates are going beyond former voter fraud claims, mow saying that unauthorized immigrants are casting ballots. Actually, rare instances of someone registered in more than one place or voting more than once have occurred only among Republicans.
Shanghai’s draconian, long-running Covid lockdown would not be possible
in a democratic country, yet the virus still persists there. Beijing
residents, fearing a Shanghai-style lockdown,
have emptied out the grocery shelves. Zero Covid would be an impossible goal
for a democratic system.
Yahoo News, Macron
declares victory in French election that had Europe on edge
While having
no great love for Immanuel Macron, most of us can heave a sigh of relief that
he prevailed over Marine Le Pen.
NPR’s Eyder Peralta who usually reports from Africa, is now on the ground in
Ukraine. Born in Nicaragua, he apparently has not chosen to report from Latin
America.
Former comic and
unlikely president Volodymyr Zelensky has really risen to the challenge,
turning out to be an unexpected hero.
Ukrainians
were blindsided by the unprovoked Russian invasion, but have done better than
expected against superior Russian forces. Who would have expected Putin to
suddenly launch a war into a neighboring country? Maybe Putin had always wanted
to seize more Ukrainian territory after taking over Crimea, so Zelensky’s
remark about joining NATO for protection gave him the excuse and impetus. Now
Putin is touting new hypersonic weapons to launch against Ukraine. If he didn’t
like Ukraine’s overtures to NATO, how about sitting down to talk about it
first? How about offering Ukraine incentives to remain within Russia’s orbit?
Now Ukraine is being destroyed and Russia’s international reputation has
experienced a massive blow and its economy as well. If Russia still wants to
occupy Ukraine, it will have to rebuild much of what was destroyed and even to
repopulate it since so many Ukrainians have fled.
My nephew, who had been working as a videogame designer in Ukraine, sent me this photo from Kharkiv.
BLOOMBERG , Russia cut off gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria, both NATO countries. The EU called the move “blackmail.”
MarketWatch, Sweden and Finland preparing simultaneous applications for NATO membership: reports
Reuters, Russia warns of nuclear, hypersonic
deployment if Sweden and Finland join NATO
Russia has laid down the gauntlet, but can hardly invade Sweden and Finland while still struggling in Ukraine. If these countries are actually considering joining NATO, best to do so promptly while Putin is still distracted in Ukraine.
Mr. Putin should now seriously consider retiring to a welcoming country, maybe Cuba, where he can ride bareback and shirtless without feeling cold and be buffered from any criticism.
Daily
Mail,
'If you post that you are against war they will come after you.' Thousands
of desperate Russians are seeking asylum in the US by way of Mexico where no
visas are necessary as they flee Putin's political persecution and conscription
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10573625/Thousands-desperate-Russians-fleeing-Mexico-seeking-asylum.html
In
the first two months of 2022 alone, 5,984 Russians sought asylum in the US
compared to just 3,893 in the whole of 2021.
Both Russian dissidents and Ukrainian civilians have crowded the southern US border joining an avalanche of others waiting to be admitted.
Despite
disclaimers, reportedly Ukrainian children are being separated from parents at
the US southern border. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/19/us/ukraine-family-separations.html?referringSource=articleShare
AP, US to welcome Ukraine
refugees but no longer through Mexico
NBC News, 'It will be a
nightmare': Texas city braces for flood of border crossers when Covid rule ends
in May
Mayor Javier Villalobos of McAllen, Texas, has asked for more federal funding to deal with the flood. Sister Norma Pimentel, who runs the Catholic Charities shelter in McAllen, says they are busy getting prepared.
Wash.
Post, Honduras ex-president
Juan Orlando Hernández to be extradited to U.S. It’s finally happening. Friends in Honduras are cheering
the news.
NBC News, Former
president of Honduras extradited to U.S. on drug trafficking charges
JOH, as he is commonly referred to in Honduras, is now
actually in physical custody in the USA. Attorney General Merrick Garland stated,
“We allege that Hernández
corrupted legitimate public institutions in the country.” He is accused of
taking $1 million from Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, the former head of the
Sinaloa cartel, among other charges.
The
strategy, announced by VP Harris, includes getting “$1.2 billion in private sector
commitments in Central America to create new jobs and opportunities for people
in the region.” It also includes extending internet access.
But, of course, Cuba is not included—nor the US territory of Puerto Rico, either.
AP, More Cubans immigrating to the
US by crossing from Mexico
The Russian invasion of Ukraine is making Cuba's three-year-old foreign exchange crisis worse as import costs soar. https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/ukraine-related-price-jolts-threaten-cubas-already-tepid-recovery-2022-04-18/
Reuters, U.S.
Supreme Court declines to extend federal benefits to Puerto Rico
Since Puerto Rico is a territory, not a state, its residents are not eligible for SSI, social security disability benefits for low-income people; likewise, those living on the island do not now pay federal income taxes, so it’s a trade-off.
Amnesty International USA, to which I’ve belonged for more than
40 years, has issued an Urgent Action for Puerto Rico to protest
a proposed law that would restrict abortions after 22 weeks unless
the mother’s life is in danger. That doesn’t seem like a particularly draconian
proposal. Fealty to Roe and “a woman’s right to choose” has blinded many to
changes in neonatal care and early viability. Roe specified 24 weeks a
half-century ago, but neo-natal care has advanced since. (Independent fetal
movements can be felt as early as 7 1/2 weeks.) Infants now born at 22
weeks, and even earlier, have survived and survivability is likely to keep on going
even lower. If continuance of a pregnancy after 22 weeks puts a mother’s life or
health in danger, then delivery of the fetus/infant can take place, with every
effort made to protect that infant’s life. As a Spanish interpreter, I’ve
actually been with families whose babies have been born at 21 and 22 weeks, very
lively infants full of personality, though still needing special care for a
time. So I’ve objected in writing and have advised Amnesty to remove that
Urgent Action. Below is the letter I sent to the bill’s author, with a copy to
AIUSA urgent actions.
joarodriguez@senado.pr.gov cc: uan@aiusa.org
Honorable Joanne Marie Rodríguez Veve,
Senado de Puerto Rico
Honorable Joanne
Marie Rodríguez Veve:
Después de 41 años como activista de
Amnistía Internacional,
estoy en desacuerdo con la acción urgente que se opone al
limite de abortos después de 22 semanas de embarazo. Creo que nuestra
organización debe reconocer los adelantos que han permitido que bebés nacidos a
las 22 semanas y aún
antes hayan sobrevivido. Los he visto en mis años trabajando con la asociación
nacional de terapia ocupacional y también después sirviendo como intérprete
en casos médicos. He visto niños activos llenos de personalidad viva
nacidos a 21 y 22 meses, aunque todavía necesitan atención especial por un
tiempo. Roe fue decidido hace medio siglo antes de los avances médicos
actuales. Si una madre tiene una condición seria que requiere que el bebé nazca a las 22 semanas, puede dar a luz entonces. He avisado a
Amnistía de retirar esta acción urgente.
Barbara E. Joe, Washington, DC
If I am unceremoniously ejected from Amnesty after 41 years of volunteer service over my objection to that Urgent Action and my letter to the Puerto Rican Senator, so be it. I don’t know much about her, but I do think that holding the Roe decision of 50 years ago as sacrosanct is a mistake in light of today’s medical advances. If given a chance to speak on this matter before the Supreme court, I’d say as much. I contend that Roe is out-of-date.
Medication abortions carried out at home are a done deal, falling within the “right to privacy.” It would be useless for abortion opponents to try prevent them. As one of my readers has pointed out, after so long, many women believe abortion is their right and now medication abortions are an early, easy, and private option. Nonetheless, a substantial portion of the population still remains strongly anti-abortion, even 50 years after Roe. The outer limits of surgical abortions could also still change due to advances in medical knowledge and premie care, which may be where the fight goes from here. The numbers involved there are relatively small, though vitally important, of course, for each and every surviving infant.
In contrast, care for someone already born can go to extremes. I know a woman now completely unresponsive for more than a year in an apparent coma, whose abdominal feeding is tube keeping her “alive” in a special care facility. She is not the only one there in such circumstances.
As readers
already know, as both an adoptive and a birth parent, I’ve never joined rallies
for “abortion rights” or carried “pro-choice” signs. Some associates have expressed
surprise, since I’ve almost always supported Democratic or “liberal” policies
otherwise. Human life is protected in the US but not necessarily prenatal human
life.
It also
must be acknowledged that not every parent is capable of raising a child. Most
parents do their best and the majority do well enough, as I mentioned last
time. Their love and concern for their offspring carry them through. But a
number of parents are clearly harmful to their kids. When working in juvenile
probation back in California, I saw first-hand the effects that neglect or even
deliberate abuse could have on vulnerable children. President Biden’s efforts
to increase funding for childcare would move much of it out of the home and
into a group setting where it can be more closely and publicly monitored,
though only after Covid vaccines make group care safe for preschoolers. I used
to favor having mothers stay home with their kids for the first year or two to
bond with them and hopefully to breastfeed, but times have changed and families
are under more financial stress, so now I feel that New Mexico is taking a step
in the right direction.
Wash. Post, New Mexico to offer a year of free child care to most residents
Insider, Parents-to-be describe the terrifying moment their doctor told
them they have 6 weeks to save their baby by raising $3.2 million for
specialized in-utero surgery
An operable but still serious fetal heart defect was observed via ultrasound in the 16th week of pregnancy, in this case in the UK, with the parents refusing to permit an abortion.
I would also deviate from some political allies regarding women’s sports, because transgender athletes who have “transitioned” from male to female after puberty and remain in the same sport still retain almost insurmountable advantages in height, bone density, and strength over biological females, who are then not given a fair chance in my opinion.
In the UK, a 21-year-old
male-to-female cyclist was barred from women’s racing, a move I would
support. (We never hear about cases of female-to-male transitions providing any
sports advantages.) I wonder if most young male-to-female athletes will remain
in female roles once they’ve retired from sports? Telegraph, Emily
Bridges' mother hits out at 'inexcusable damage' to daughter's wellbeing over
transgender row
Telegraph, Feminist student
‘bullied’ by trans activists loses bid to sue university
Raquel Rosario-Sánchez, 32, said she had been subjected to a two-year campaign and
threats of violence by transgender activists which she claimed Bristol
University bosses failed to stop. As part of her claim, Ms
Rosario-Sánchez said she was told by diversity chiefs that the term “maternity”
was now “problematic” and “exclusionary”. She claimed that when she said that
only biological women can give birth, she was reported to HR bosses for being
“transphobic”, investigated by the university and ordered to apologise. She
also claimed the university dismissed her complaint about men being allowed in
the female changing rooms at the pool.
Maybe I’m getting more conservative in my old age, but I do tend
to side with Rosario-Sánchez. Political correctness can be carried too far.
National Review, Male Inmate Convicted of Raping Female at Rikers
Island’s Women’s Facility This rape was carried
out by a male prisoner who identified as female and was allowed to be held in a
women’s prison.
Wash. Post, Man charged with threatening Merriam-Webster for redefining ‘girl’
So, transgenderism remains a contentious issue. While transgender
identity and same sex attraction may be firmly fixed for some folks from an
early age, still, for others, especially among some women friends, there has
been a change over a lifetime, or so those friends have confided. According to these
women friends, they had gone from teenage same-sex attraction to heterosexual
unions, though occasionally the reverse has occurred later in life, when women
outnumber men. Also, more than one man has admitted that he had first
experimented sexually as a teen with other boys, going on to mate only with
women, something I suspect is not uncommon. Can “grooming” of preteens by
adults propel them toward homosexuality? Probably not in most cases, though I
do know a gay man who attributes his own orientation to childhood sexual
experiences with adult men.
Young people now seem to be more open to sexual/gender experimentation than in my youth back when female celibacy, even virginity, especially for educated women, was the gold standard. Of course, my youth occurred quite a long time ago.
Wash. Post, 1 in 300 Canadians over age 15 identify as transgender or non-binary
Still, I would support a policy of no irreversible “gender affirming” medical care until after age 18, when the person becomes a legal adult, the usual current practice. Whatever did transgender-oriented individuals do throughout human history before surgery and hormones were options? They probably engaged in cross dressing, just like the Hijra in India. I’ve known both gay and bi folks, have never met someone transgender, at least not to my knowledge.
Readers may be already aware of my stance on various contentious social issues. Not everything is starkly black or white and change occurs over time. As for myself. I’ve never been attracted to another woman, though still cherish my female friends, after having either lived a celibate life or partnered with a man, pretty typical for an American-born woman my age. My husband and I were married for 24 years, though I’ve been single ever since. Both statuses have had their pluses and minuses.
NextShark, Japanese man who married virtual character now on a
mission to educate others about 'fictosexuals'
This man has taken to the lecture circuit to describe his relationship with a life-sized doll, a rather cute partner who never talks back or gives him any trouble. He thus avoids any partnership hassles.
There is really no objective way to measure mores and morality. Right and wrong depend on social consensus, on the weight of public opinion in a given era. We have a problem now in the US with a sharply divided consensus, including disagreement about even basic facts. But on the following case, a consensus on clemency for a death-row inmate seems to have emerged.
NY Times, In
Polarized Texas, Rare Accord: A Hispanic Mother Shouldn't Be Executed
On April 27,
unless there is a reprieve, Melissa Lucio, age 53, a Hispanic mother of 14, will be executed. One of
her children died after injuries that Lucio said came from a fall downstairs,
but deemed to have been inflicted by her. Lucio admitted only to spanking the
deceased child. While I’m opposed to spanking, especially of a 2-year-old, and
never spanked any of my 4 kids, still, caring for 14 children would be challenging
for anyone, as it apparently was for Lucio. For a time, her children were in
foster care. She does seem to have been negligent, but was probably not a
deliberate killer. After she has already spent 15 years in prison, as her
execution looms, her children have rallied to her defense, while no male
partner has stepped forward. I’ve already expressed my opposition to the death
penalty, even more so when there is even a sliver of doubt about culpability,
and there is more than a sliver in this case. With Mother’s Day pending, it’s
time to take Lucio off the execution schedule.
After I wrote the above about Lucio, just 48 hours before her scheduled execution, she was granted a reprieve and taken off the execution list. She had been due to be executed on Wed. Her request for a new trial is pending.
My
decades-long friend Basilio Guzmán died last
week of cancer just 2 days short of his 85th birthday, as mentioned briefly
last time. I saw him in late March when he was bedridden but still
cognizant. He was one of 26 Cuban political prisoners whom our Amnesty Int'l
Group 211 (to which I still belong) had asked Jesse Jackson to try to free
in a 1984 meeting with Fidel. Jackson brought them all out to our considerable amazement
and relief. Long after midnight, as described in my Confessions book, I
was out at Dulles airport with my kids, who fell asleep on the benches. We waited
anxiously for the prisoners to arrive, feeling relieved to see them finally exit
the plane, all looking a bit groggy and confused. Among them, was Basilio, who had
spent 22 years as a political prisoner, though his original sentence was only
20 years.
Basilio above in his days working as a carpenter and jack of all trades. Below, Basiio at work and then with another Cuban political prisoner, Dr. Darsi Ferrer, who has also died. Below with his American wife and youngest daughter.
On the above photo, I appear with book reading at a Florida bookstore with 3 Cuban former political prisoners, left to right, Jorge Valls, Basilio, and Ernesto Diaz. All appear in my Confessions book. Jorge has died as well. Below, I am with him some years ago.
Now another long-time friend Roland, age 88, living in faraway California, reveals he has terminal throat cancer. His voice sounds hoarse and scratchy over the phone. Deaths have started occurring more frequently among friends and contemporaries. I do recall when my mother, who lived to age 92, was going to a funeral almost every week until then it was her turn.
Quite obviously, we are all going to die. But at my age now, as per my mother’s experience, I’m finding more old-time friends and contemporaries are dying or immanently facing death. That’s really not unexpected at our age, but is still upsetting. A really scary thing to contemplate is the inevitable future death of a grandchild or great-grandchild, but I’m glad to no longer be around when that happens. My surviving children and grandchildren know they are simply not allowed to die before me. I’ve already paid my dues on that score.
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