Submitted by Andrew J. Rodriguez, Jan 2, 2007 19:21

As author of the award winning memoir, "Adios, Havana" I felt extremely proud reading Mr. Haza's story.

As a former Cuban refugee (1960) and a successful businessman in the US, I'd say Amen to the way Mr. Haza refers to the United States. No matter how one tosses it, this is the greatest country in the world. Too bad so many Americans especially the younger generation do not respect or treasure the fruits of what they have. Nothing like losing something to appreciate its value.

Cuba has gone down the sewer not because of Fidel Castro alone, but also because of our neglect of civic obligations, abuse of liberty, endorsing corruption at all levels of government by omision, and last but not least because in our wildest nightmares we never imagined a communist country existing 90 miles away from the largest democracy on earth. We took Uncle Sam's military power for granted, and that was our biggest mistake.

Let's pray to God that history will not repeat itself in the Land of the Free.

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