Liberty! The most important word in the world.
On October 28, 1886 the Statue of Liberty was dedicated in New York’s harbor. A Cuban journalist and exile was there and wrote the following account for a newspaper. His name was Jose Marti.
"Today is Liberty’s day.
Up and down the Hudson River, French and American flags stretch from mast to mast, from bow to stern, on hundreds of tugboats and yachts and scows and steamers and ships-of-war.
Rain is falling, but no one cares. The red, white, and blue of the Stars and Stripes and the French tricolors fly from buildings and stores and arches. Sidewalks, doorways, windowsills, and roofs bulge with people. Adults stand on wooden boxes and scaffolding.
A million Americans have come to welcome her.
Grand Marshal Charles Stone, astride a black horse, leads five miles of red, gray, blue, and green. Regiment after regiment. Soldiers and sailors, young and old, march in lockstep. Eyes front, chests out, arms swinging. Left, right, left, right. Legs strut and splash themselves.
The militias dip their colors in tribute at Pulitzer’s building and the viewing stand.
The Rochambeau grenadiers raise their glistening swords to their lips. President Grover Cleveland salutes the bullet-torn flags of past wars. “Bartholdi! Bartholdi!” people cry as they see him on the viewing stand. Three girls race up to give him flowers.
Children in school uniforms, heavy-footed policemen with shiny brass buttons, firemen
Decked out in red shirts alongside their horse-drawn steam engines, cheering, “Hi-yi-yi-hi.” Navy men with big white hats. Zouaves with fire-red pants. Soldiers wounded in past wars ride in carriages with judges and governors.
And the marching bands, so many, all playing at once. O say can you see… Arise, ye sons of France, to glory… I wish I was in the land of cotton… I’m a Yankee Doodle Dandy…. A din of drums and horns and tubas.
Finally, General Washington’s carriage, drawn by eight dappled gray horses. Yays and hoorays for the Continental Guards. The city is one vast cheer.
Liberty! The most important word in the world.
I know it all too well. I was deported from my country, Cuba, for fighting to free my people from Spanish rule.
Liberty? What do we need that for? According to the mainstream media [with the New York Times leading the battle cry], academia, and much of Hollywood, the people in Cuba are happy and content with Cuba's "free health care and education." Elections, what do we need those for? fidel castro gave Cubans a sense of "dignity and pride" [I once heard that on a PBS special on Cuba].
"Liberty" is a 1st world concept and Cubans are 3rd world people. You must be one of those horrible gusanos, you know, a member of the Miami Mafia.
Marti was one of the best. A brilliant writer.
I'm amazed that Fidel could give all of his speeches at the Marti memorial with a straight face. I'm sure the irony wasn't lost on him.
Mr. Mojito, as Cubans say, "tiene una cara mas dura que una piedra." That's way he gives those Marti speeches.
Translation: He has a face as hard as a rock. I say as hard as not just any rock, as hard as solid GRANITE.