Someone who has a Facebook account.

Someone who fears the full exercise of freedom.

Someone who fears free speech.

Someone who fears the power of Marco Rubio's message and his potential influence on the future of U.S. and perhaps... (duh you think???) U.S. - Cuba policy?

What kind of sissy coward complains about a photo someone posts on their Facebook page?  I was checking my photos, and found that someone had reported a photo of  Marco Rubio as abusive,  and now it is blocked.  I'm posting this just for the record, as I there is no doubt in my mind that the  "complaint" was not lodged by one who believes in the principles of freedom and democracy. 

Message to Facebook management, do you believe in and support the right of free speech?  Just wondering, because you obviously believe in the right of censorship.

Once again, Nat Hentoff has taken a principled stand against the American Library Association's betrayal of its most cherished principle, the defense of intellectual freedom, and their silence on the repressive tactics of the Castro regime against  independent libraries and librarians in Cuba.

Via Bob Kent, Co-chair Friends of Cuban Libraries:

Endless shame of the spineless American Library Association

By NAT HENTOFF
Syndicated columnist
Posted Jan 13, 2011

In April 2003, the security police of Fidel Castro arrested and imprisoned 75 journalists, members of opposition parties, and owners of independent libraries. The charge: "crimes against national sovereignty." The librarians had been making available to Cubans books that were banned in the state's libraries for containing "terrorist" material. Among them were a biography of Martin Luther King Jr. and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (a document for all human beings).

During the one-day trial, Castro's judges ordered that all printed volumes confiscated during the raids of the libraries be burned. I obtained copies of those incendiary court rulings that then, and now, characterize the Cuban "revolution." Immediately, Amnesty International designated all the 75 inmates "prisoners of conscience." There continues to be more of them -- some, as always, in dire need of medical attention they have yet to receive.

At first, I had expected immediate protests about the caged independent librarians from the American Library Association. The core credo of this largest national library association in the world has been "the freedom to read" -- for everyone everywhere.

Why should you care? Because banning books and imprisoning librarians mean banning literature, ideas -- thought -- and critically wounding freedoms that should be as essential as oxygen to citizens and a society.

In the many columns I've written since about the abandoned Cuban librarians, I've cited the ALA's refusal to demand the release of these librarians. In June 2003, for one of many examples, Michael Dowling, then director of the ALA's International Relations Office, said: "There has been no definitive evidence that books are banned and librarians harassed." There had been international press on the raids.

As my documented stories on these and future imprisonments went on, I was targeted by the director of Cuba's National Library Eliades Acosta: "What does Mr. Hentoff know of the real Cuba?"
My public reply: "I know that if I were a Cuban, I'd be in prison."

Polish and Latvian library associations did call for the release of the prisoners of conscience. But in 2005, the state library association of Cuba stingingly replied to the Latvian protest resolution: "it is too late ... to attempt to trick the world in this manner."

The ALA, annoyed by the continued criticism, occasionally expressed "deep concern" about the allegations but declined to mention the silenced freedom-to-read librarians in Castroland.

Also, in 1995, as a longtime admirer of Ray Bradbury, including his classic novel of censorship by fire, "Fahrenheit 451," I sent him some of my columns and the burning Castro court rulings that Bradbury's novel had prophesied. Publicly, Bradbury then said:
"I plead with Castro and his government to take their hands off the independent librarians and release all those librarians in prison, and to send them back into Cuban culture to inform the people."

No comment from Fidel or the ALA. Last year, on May 19, the Mario Chanes de Armas Independent Library was raided by Cuban State Security police, who confiscated 360 books. (http://www.friendsofcubanlibraries.org/Recent%20News%202.htm#Independent%20library%20raided%20in%20Cienfuegos). I do not know the whereabouts of the director of that purified library, who had telephoned this news under the regime of Raul Castro.

But, in yet another appeal to the ALA on March 11 last year, the American-based Friends of Cuban libraries sent a letter to then-president of the ALA Camila Alire, "asking for your urgent and compassionate aid in saving the life of a fellow library worker, Guillermo Farinas (director of the Dr. Roberto Avalos library).

"Mr. Farinas has refused to consume food or fluids since he began a hunger strike" at his home in Santa Clara for the release of 26 Cuban prisoners in poor health, including "Ricardo Gonzalez, the director of the Jorge Manach Library, and Ariel Sigler Amaya, who was condemned to a long prison term for, among other alleged crimes, gathering books for a library collection." Both have been named prisoners of conscience by Amnesty International.

As for this hunger striker, Guillermo Farinas "is growing weaker, and Cuba's official newspaper 'Granma' has indicated that the government will make no effort to save his life after his health declines to the point of unconsciousness."

Therefore, "on an urgent basis, we ask you to please contact the Cuban Minister of Foreign Relations, Mr. Bruno Rodr¡guez Parrilla, to request that efforts be made to save the life of Guillermo Farinas. The e-mail address of the Foreign Ministry is: (cubaminrex@minrex.gov.cu)."

The Parliament of the European Union recently passed a resolution expressing concern for Mr. Farinas and "we hope the American Library Association will rapidly join the worldwide effort to help in saving his life."
This plea for the life of Guillermo Farinas was ignored by the American Library Association.

Next week: What happened to the acute discomfort of the Castro government and the American Library Association after -- on Oct. 1, 2010, the BBC reported: "The European Parliament has awarded the Sakharov human rights prize to Cuban dissident Guillermo Farinas. In July, Mr. Farinas, 48, ended a hunger strike after Cuba's communist government announced it was freeing 52 political prisoners." (But the EU and Farinas are aware that more remain in the Castros' prisons and that the raids on independent libraries continue.)

The prize is named after the late, brave Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov. Those who nominated Farinas called him "a beacon of hope for dozens of journalists and activists who are currently in prison."

And the prizewinner dedicated the human rights award to the people of Cuba. He said they struggle for "an end to the dictatorship."

The people of Cuba should be reminded that on April 26, 2005, Canek Sanchez Guevara -- the grandson of the murderous Che Guevara, still a hero to Fidelists around the world and in the United States, spoke in Stockholm of "the obsession (in Cuba) with surveillance, control, repression, etc. And freedom is something entirely different."

The American Library Association should invite Che Guevara's grandson to address one of its conferences to enlighten its governing council on how to end its obsession with ignoring the persistently persecuted Cuban independent librarians.
------------------------------------------------------

Nat Hentoff is a nationally renowned authority on the First Amendment and the Bill of Rights. He is a member of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, and the Cato Institute, where he is a senior fellow.

I'm surprised he hasn't taken it already ...

CARACAS, Venezuela -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez defended plans for a law that would impose broadcast-type regulations on the Internet, saying Sunday that his government should protect citizens against online crimes.

Chavez's congressional allies are considering extending the "Social Responsibility Law" for broadcast media to the Internet, banning messages that "disrespect public authorities," "incite or promote hatred" or crimes, or are aimed at creating "anxiety" in the population.

Government opponents and press freedom groups have been critical of the plan, saying it is one of several measures being considered that could restrict freedoms in Venezuela.

"We aren't eliminating the Internet here ... nor censoring the Internet," Chavez said during his weekly television and radio program, "Hello, President." "What we're doing is protecting ourselves against crimes, cybercrimes, through a law."

[...] Questions remain about how the measures would be enforced.

Chavez also rebuffed criticism over the National Assembly's vote on Friday granting him special powers to enact laws by decree in a range of areas for the next year and a half.

Critics called it a power grab, noting that Chavez will be able to largely bypass the incoming National Assembly that takes office next month with a larger opposition contingent.

"They're calling me a dictator?" Chavez said, dismissing the criticism. "They're the dictators, those who are crazy for installing the dictatorship of the bourgeoisie once again in Venezuela - but we'll never again allow them."

Feh ...

As the older/wiser kid with younger siblings we would, on a daily basis, squabble. I was told by my parents, grandparents, and the nuns at my grade school that "No one can MAKE you do something." No matter how strong the attack or horrifying the threat, it always comes down to your own free will to act or react in every situation. Even if someone has a gun to your head or your child's head. It is your lone decision in that moment as to what you will or won't do. For better or for worse. Then the ball is in the opponent's court, so to speak. Then the one instigating, threatening or attacking you makes the decision to continue or to carry out their aggression/threats. To say, "He/She/They forced my hand. I had no choice" is nothing more than admitting the time span in which to make said personal decision was limited and narrow, and beyond the boundary of sane patience of typical personal responsibility and you lead with emtions. Am I making sense? Every moment of our lives is an accounting of personal responsibility for our personal decisions. No matter how hard today's appeasing and overly-rationalizing minds try to spin it in order to wave such high standards from others in the world. It is what it is. You're attacked. You evaluate the worth and severity of the attack. You either respond or you let it roll off your back.

The main factor in a successful civilized society/family is to hold people accountable for their decisions, most especially if they directly effect other people. In a family situation it is up to the parents to evaluate the squabbles and reason with the parties involved as to why those personal decisions were made in order to settle differences. However, because of our busy lives and daily pressures of time and stress parents more often than not do not use the diplomatic approach, rather, they use the instant gratification of just punishing all involved (in my case even if I hadn't retaliated against my younger sister's cheap sucker punch because of something I'd said. "She made me do it!" was her defense). The parental reasoning in the blanket convictions and carpet-bombing the kids was, "Well, we anticipated/assumed you would hit back." Anyone who experienced this parental insanity as a kid recalls the revulsion that bubbled-up in your gut at your parents for the injustice. (See: Ralphie Parker's blind scene in A Christmas Story.) All that resulted was a false peace that festered with resentment, some for the parents but most for the sibling. At some point the guilty sibling not singled out for agression becomes emboldened, and it is all the more easy for the parents to keep persecuting the target of his/her agenda-driven aggression and be done with it. These same people that insisted "Nobody can MAKE you do something" just demanded "What did YOU do to make him/her do that to you?"

I am, perhaps, being overly simplistic in my analogy of what went down in this nation this week. Our country has been winding through one of those much heralded "teachable moments" our Professor-in-Chief likes to toss around.

I find it extremely troubling how our federal government basically ’strong-armed’ a Christian pastor of a small church out of his free speech rights. Yes, ’strong-armed’. To have the FBI invading his private property without cause, to have the WH and the Pentagon calling him … to have others in the administration come out and make public statements against this one American. It IS strong-arming. Yes, Pastor Jones sought attention, but those same parents instructed us to ignore people like that. The more attention you give such fools the more importance you build for what they are doing.

The Koran that Pastor Jones is/isn't going to burn on 9/11/10 is his own legally acquired private property … being held on his private property. Just as a certain defunct Berlington Coat Factory building in Manhattan is private property. Both parties can do with those properties what they wish within the boundaries of our laws. We don't have to like it. All one needs do is look at how these very same people in our government and in the media have argued for Imam Rauf’s free speech and freedom of religion rights regarding the planned Ground Zero mosque to see their hypocrisy here.

I do not agree with book burning. I believe bad books have value. They strengthen the worth of the good books. Hopefully the American people take a step back from the obvious disgust of a 'book-burning' act, and look at one very important thing here:

ONE religion/culture/ideology not only has dictated through the threat of MORE terror and violence the debate/discussion/speech/actions of one pastor in one small church in this country, but they have been willingly assisted by that man’s appeasing government in strong-arming him and stomping all over his free speech rights under the US Constitution they swore oaths to protect … all with the nauseating echo of foreign interlopers into this nation’s and one citizen’s rights by a NATO official and the Vatican. In the course of the last few days no Korans have been burned. Yet, the threats of terror have escalated and have even been carried out by this supposedly 21st century civilized world's barbaric thought police. A religion of peace that by all empirical evidence is anything but.

THIS, ladies and gents, is the lesson in this teachable moment. We have officially entered into the Londonistan/Eurabia mentality of slapping down our own rights and laws to garner a false peace from an enemy that fully intends our death and destruction. An enemy that will never co-exist. We are all the more weak for this. One almost-ALMOST hopes Pastor Jones lights a match tomorrow morning ... It may be the only way to save our sovereign Constitution from being burned ... On 9/11/01 over three buildings, a field, four planes, and thousands of people burned ... No Korans were burned on or before that day.

Beware of The Blob, it creeps
And leaps and glides and slides
Across the floor
Right through the door
And all around the wall
A splotch, a blotch
Be careful of The Blob

Last spring, as Congress was winding up to pitch the ObamaCare Bill to the Oval Office bully-pen by passing the ugly blood-sucking monster onto the masses of the American people there was a huge gathering of Tea Party folks protesting on the lawn of the Capitol. The democrats believed they were dealing with ignorant jihadists clamoring in the streets of Washington D.C. ready to blow themselves up or begin mass beheadings of smug, self-serving members of the Elected Class. When violence did not ensue upon the political antagonists parading through the crowds with a grinning stooge and her clown-sized gavel leading the way, the race card was pulled from a well-starched sleeve and thrown down, and claims of racial epitaphs at certain hallowed Congressional members were played. Surely a video or audio of this would have been so damning and Tea Party movement altering as to be used as MSNBC's new opening for their submerged primetime TV shows. And what person, in today's economy and media orgy, would not have lusted for the $100,000 reward Andrew Breitbart offered for an AUTHENTIC video/audio. Yet, Andrew's wallet is still bulging, and the media and democrats still regurgitate the claim as if it is truth.

Now we have the Shirley Sherrod incident. On the heels of the NAACP voting on and passing a whatnot claiming the Tea Party, in essence, is racist, Andrew Brietbart came into possession of a video of someone addressing an NAACP gathering relating a story of her anti-white racist intentions and practices. Andrew's own intent was not to make Sherrod the subject of the Big Government piece, but the NAACP membership's racist agreement and reaction to her story ... before she tied it up at the end with her change of heart and mind to do the proper thing. But to this day the media, the democrats, and even the White House talking heads insist Breitbart's intent was to smear the woman and have her somehow ruined. It does not matter the facts in all of this mess the White House and the toady media have grown into this massive, smothering blob to consume any resemblance of actual truth. Breitbart needs to restate his initial Big Government piece of the Sherrod story, and then offer another $100,000 to anyone with video/transcripts of FOX News having covered the Sherrod story, or played the video, BEFORE the White House lynched her and forced her off the side of the road to resign for fear of her being a story on FOX News ... and Glenn Beck. Even slapped between the bug-eyes with the facts on live television they continue to spew the lies. It is very damning to see this laid out before the judge and jury of the American people. Yet, the democrat media and White House continue to prosecute Beck, FOX, and even Breitbart with false witness. Shirley Sherrod herself has been on TV doing her part to spin this lie, and add the racist frosting to it. This is a striking example of how the left intends to shutdown dissentient, and purveyors of the truth backed by facts in the information machine. Think about it, though, FOX News has this much control over the government? It is the exact opposite. The current government is trying to circle the only remaining TV news outlet NOT lying or carrying this government's Kool-Aid for the American people to drink.

Question: If Shirley Sherrod's story, as the media and the democrat "progressive" machine are trying to craft it, is so 'true' then why was she kept off all the Sunday morning news talk shows?

Question #2: IF Andrew Breitbart's intent was to set-up the White House via the NAACP, how is it the 'most intelligent Administration ever' fell so fast and furious for Andrew's bait, as some are now insinuating? Don't know about you but sure makes me feel real confident about this man and his administration's ability to be manipulated by outside forces. ( /sarc ... of course) Right now I'd say Andrew Breitbart has more video proof the NAACP is loaded with racists than the democrats/Administration/NAACP/MSM have that the Tea Party are racists. And it's pretty evident excatly who is doing all the lying.

During the 2008 campaign I was one of those voices that were warning on blogs, and inside my own circle of family/friends/acquaintances, about the approaching socialist/Marxist tsunami. The murky political waters receded far back off the shores of the media, and folks ran out onto the exposed sea floor to grab all the tempting lovely sea shells and flopping fish of hope and change. In the last year and a half the waters have begun rolling back in and people are being swallowed-up with the truth. That huge crushing wave is towering above the reef and will be crashing ashore and crushing us all very soon. Religion, law, and common sense are ALL rooted in truth. When the truth is gone we will have no way to defend ourselves. We will be stripped naked to their aggression and inevitable control. We will be consumed by this big red blob ... But I'm preaching to the choir here at a Cuban-American blog with such truth rooted in them.

During the 2003 Black Spring crackdown in Cuba, among the dissidents rounded up and arbitrarily sentenced, were fifteen librarians.  They were members of an Independent Library movement that collected books , newspapers and periodicals banned by the regime,  and loaned them to interested readers. In Cuba this is a crime. 

 At the time of their arrest, thousands of books and reading materials were confiscated, and according to Cuban court documents ordered incinerated--yes they were burned.   This shocking act by the regime was soundly criticized; except that it is by the one group who should have been the most vocal in denouncing the repression,  The American Library Association. 

  Since 2003, the ALA leadership has refused to condemn the castro regime.  This could change in the upcoming ALA election,  Robert Kent of Friends of Cuban Libraries informs us that Sara Kelly Johnsm  candidate for ALA president,  says that  "she has paid close attention to the Cuban library issue. She gave assurances that, under her leadership, diverse views on controversies would be heard within the ALA and that the Cuban library issue would not be permitted to "go under the table."

Below is a list of those librarians who are still incarcerated in castro’s tropical gulag.  They suffer under horrific inhumane conditions; inadequate nutrition, lack of clean water, fresh air and exercise, unsanitary living conditions, denied medical care, and prolonged periods of isolation.  They are harassed, beaten, and often forced to live among common criminals who are rewarded for mistreating them. 

Victor Rolando Arroyo:   Reyes Magos Library, Pinar del Rio. 26 years. Prison Kilo 5 prison, Pinar del Río. Charge:Law 88 and Article 91. Concerns: Since his imprisonment Arroyo has reportedly been diagnosed with various ailments including diabetes, hypertension and pulmonary emphysema (an irreversible lung condition), and has been denied medical attention on several occasions. He has staged protests against prison conditions and as a result has been held in “punishment cells”. He is also said to have been attacked by other prisoners and threatened by the prison authorities. On 23 or 24 August 2008 Arroyo was reportedly transferred from Holguín prison, eastern Cuba, where he had been held since October 2005, to Kilo 5 prison in Pinar del Río, which means that he is now closer to his family. Arroyo’s wife reported that he had been attacked by other prisoners in late 2008.

José Luis García Paneque: Carlos J. Finley Library, Las Tunas. 24 years.   Prison: Las Mangas prison, Granma. Charge: Law 88 and Article 91. Concerns: García Paneque is reported to have suffered mental illness during his imprisonment and to have been held in a prison psychiatric unit from November 2004 to November 2005. He is also said to suffer from acute intestinal illness, which led to malnutrition, diarrhea and weight loss, as well as chronic pneumonia and a kidney tumor. Despite his worsening health, in 2008 he was reportedly deprived of medical treatment. His wife and children are said to have fled to the USA in June 2007 due to constant harassment. As of December 2008, still being held  at Las Mangas prison, where he is reportedly allowed one family visit every 45 days

Ricardo González: Jorge Mañach Library, Havana. 20 years. Prison: Combinado del Este, Havana. Charge: Article 91. Concerns: González has reportedly suffered numerous health problems since his imprisonment, including hypertension, arthritis, a heart condition, chronic bronchitis, digestive and circulatory problems and allergies. He is understood to have had three operations and also to have spent some time in a prison psychiatric ward in 2005. González was hospitalized from September 2007 to January 2008 and continued to be in very poor health once returned to his cell. Despite this he was reportedly denied medical treatment on several occasions in 2008, including not receiving the medicine he had been prescribed for his heart condition. As of early December 2008, González was said to be sharing a cell with 36 criminal convicts, which had reportedly flooded on several occasions, worsening the already unsanitary conditions. González has reportedly been granted a humanitarian visa to travel to Costa Rica, but the Cuban authorities have refused to allow him to leave the island.

Iván Hernández Carillo: Juan Gualberto Gómez Library II, Matanzas. 25 years.   Prison: Guamajal Prison, Villa Clara Charge: Law 88. Concerns: Hernández reportedly suffers from hypertension and gastritis and has frequently complained about prison conditions. He went on hunger strike in 2003 to demand decent food and medicine for seriously ill prisoners and again in 2007 in protest at mistreatment by guards. In 2008 he reported being denied visits, letters and newspapers and being threatened and attacked by other prisoners. He also complained about unsanitary conditions, rotten food and dirty water.

José Ubaldo Izquierdo Hernández: Sebastián Arcos Library, Havana Province. 16 years.  Prison: Guanajay, Havana. Charge: Article 91. Concerns: Izquierdo has reportedly suffered from numerous ailments since his imprisonment, including pulmonary emphysema (an irreversible lung condition), stomach and intestinal problems and asthma. His health has worsened since 2007, when he was reportedly twice hospitalized for circulation and gastroduodenal problems, and went on hunger strike in protest at the lack of medical attention at the prison. At the end of 2008 it was reported that Izquierdo was suffering from depression.

José Miguel Martinez Hernández: General Juan Bruno Zayas Library, Havana Province. 13 years.  Miguelito as he is known, has served time in various prisons throughout Cuba since he was unjustly sentenced.  The subhuman conditions he is forced to live under are in lack of potable water as the only water prisoners have to drink is available only a few moments a day. It is generally very dark and dirty, and the prisoners must wait for the water to clear a bit before collecting it in improvised jars. The problem is that while the pipes—meant for potable water—are empty, they absorb waste and dirty contaminated water through their many cracks.  March 2008 he reported an outbreak of Tuberculosis in the prison.  Currently incarcerated at Kilo 5 1/2 prison in Pinar del Rio. He is one of  a group who may go on a hunger strike to protest Zapata's death.

Dr. Luis Milán Fernández: 11th of September Library, Santiago de Cuba. 13 years.  has reportedly been arbitrarily confined to a psychiatric ward since February 18, 2005 at the Boniato Prison Hospital in Santiago de Cuba. He is forced to share a cell with patients suffering from a variety of mental disorders and is prohibited from receiving any medicines or food that his family brings him. Before being moved to the hospital, Dr. Milan underwent a medical check-up at the Combinado del Este Prison in Havana during which he was diagnosed with a tumor in the left humerus, loss of hearing, pulmonary emphysema, hypertension, swollen nasal turbinates, and an enlarged liver. Dr. Milan reportedly refused to undergo treatment for these ailments, since he did not trust the medical personnel in the prison.

Blas Giraldo Reyes Rodríguez: 20th of May Library, Sancti Spriitus. 25 years.  Where he is being held,  in one cell block, there are only 92 beds for 107 prisoners, 15 have to sleep on the floor. There are only three toilets, one urinal, two showers and one sink.  He suffers from arterial hypertension, auditory, chronic gastritis, generalized arthritis, and hemorrhoids problems.  He remains defiant, removing pro-castro stickers from the cell in spite of threats.

Fidel Suárez Cruz: St. Paul Library, Pinar del Rio. 20 years.  Suárez Cruz’s wife,- Aniley has to travel over 300 kilometers from Pinar del Rio to Matanzas to visit him in prison. Suárez Cruz refuses to live among the general population in the prison and is therefore punished to solitary confinement by the authorities. Cuban political prisoners run great risks when they are placed among the prison’ general population. As is the case in other countries, the common prisoner population is made up of criminals. These common prisoners are often encouraged by the authorities to abuse political prisoners in exchange for favors.
Due to the lack of medical attention provided by the prison staff, Suárez Cruz’s health is fragile. His family and friends are concerned because he suffers from renal problems which are not being treated.

Sites referenced for this post:

http://marcmasferrer.typepad.com/uncommon_sense/

http://www.netforcuba.org/cubapp/PresosEN.htm

http://www.ruleoflawandcuba.fsu.edu/documents.cfm

http://groups.google.com/group/Cuba451Letters/web/health-and-welfare-of-the-library-prisoners

http://www.friendsofcubanlibraries.org/index.htm

http://www.4freadom.org/index.html

Popular opposition blogger Martha Colmenares has posted on facebook that her blog has been deactivated by the host.

From Facebook:

Mi blog ha sido desactivado por el hosting, con el Cadivi del régimen no sé si podré o cuando tiempo llevará solventarlo... esto es Cuba

Rough translation: 

Penultimos Dias has word that Yoani Sanchez and other Cuban bloggers have been arrested in Havana.

Yoani Sánchez, Orlando Luis Pardo, Ciro Díaz and Claudia Cadelo among those arrested. Cadelo is reported to have already been released. Details on whereabouts of other dissident bloggers are still sketchy.

UPDATE 6:46 EST: Im told all were picked up, harassed, manhandled and released at some distance away from where the march was to take place. Will keep updating as the news trickles in.

UPDATE 7:15: Penultimos Dias reports the Yoani and Orlando were verbally abused and severely beaten. Yoani was told that "this is as far as she would go."

Ernesto, acabo de hablar con Yoani, Ya está en su casa. Tiene un golpe en un ojo. La han agredido física y verbalmente. A Orlando también. Les gritaban dentro de la patrulla que hasta ahí habían llegado, la pusieron con la cabeza hacia abajo y los pies hacia arriba y les aplicaron golpes de karate. Estaba muy nerviosa. Yo también.

Please help with translation.

UPDATE (translation):

Ernesto, I have just spoken to Yoani. She is now back home. She has bruising around one eye. She has been verbally and physically assaulted. Orlando was too. "This is as far as you're getting!" was repeatedly shouted at them inside a patrol car. She was placed head over heels and subjected to karate blows. She is very nervous. I am too.

WHERE IS THE ARMY OF DAVIDS?

UPDATE 2:04: Here's video of the march the castro monarchical dictatorship just couldn't allow Cuban bloggers to participate in:

UPDATE: Yeah! Let's lift the embargo, dialogue with fidel and raul and co., and allow Americans to travel freely to Cuba so they can witness Yoani and her colleagues be treated like chattel!!

Update 8:15 AM Saturday: From Orlando Luis Pardo, posted at Penultimos Dias:

Miro mi nuca.
No ha sido nada.
Un cinturón de petequias por la demasiada fuerza de un efebo oficial y acaso por mi mala coagulación.
Miro mi nuca en un jpg.
Según se interprete, es insultante o interesante de contar.
En el principio no fue el Verbum, sino la Barbariem.
Violencia extra-verbal a pulso.
Caminar en El Vedado será a partir de hoy una experiencia extrema.
La Avenida de los Presidentes remitirá ahora a una prisión post-principesca.
En segundos, Yoani y yo estábamos de brazos torcidos dentro de un auto importado desde nuestra Madrastra Patria: China.
Mi cabeza contra la alfombra del carro y Yoani casi de patas arriba.
No pude verla, la identifiqué porque no se callaba ni maniatada.
En segundos, la oí gritar con la vehemencia del ser más libre del planeta.
Tenía una rodilla de macho cubano clavada en el pecho y todavía los increpaba.
En segundos, de esa energía chupé fuerzas para sostener un poco mi voz.
Me dijeron que le dijera a Yoani que se callara.
Esa frase, pronunciada por tres desconocidos a nombre del Estado Cubano, resume toda la escenografía obsoleta y obscena de este país:
Díganle a Yoani que se calle.
Díganle a Yoani que se calle.
Díganle a Yoani que se calle.
En segundos, nos depositaron despóticamente en una esquina que confundí con el patio interior de un barracón.
Yo estaba mareado.
Sentí asco, tuve ganas de vomitar.
No podía mover el cuello.
Abracé a Yoani (antes nunca lo había hecho).
Empezó a sollozar.
La mujer más grande de Cuba parecía una niñita de cero años.
Porque Yoani es eso: el futuro de Cuba cristalizado sobre un esqueleto frágil e irrefrenable.
La besé en la cabeza. Su pelo tironeado con odio olía a la libertad.
Una.
Dos.
Diez.
Incontables veces besé su cabeza sin edad.
Pero nunca le dije que se callara.
Pero nunca le dije que se callara.
Pero nunca le dije que se callara.

Orlando Luis Pardo
La Habana

Update 8:38 AM: Ninety-five pound Yoani Sanchez takes a beating for 12 million Cubans and writes:

Cerca de la calle 23 y justo en la rotonda de la Avenida de los Presidente, fue que vimos llegar en un auto negro —de fabricación china— a tres fornidos desconocidos: “Yoani, móntate en el auto” me dijo uno mientras me aguantaba fuertemente por la muñeca. Los otros dos rodeaban a Claudia Cadelo, Orlando Luís Pardo Lazo y una amiga que nos acompañaba a una marcha contra la violencia. Ironías de la vida, fue una tarde cargada de golpes, gritos y malas palabras la que debió transcurrir como una jornada de paz y concordia. Los mismos “agresores” llamaron a una patrulla que se llevó a mis otras dos acompañantes, Orlando y yo estábamos condenados al auto de matrícula amarilla, al pavoroso terreno de la ilegalidad y la impunidad del Armagedón.
Me negué a subir al brillante Geely y exigimos nos mostraran una identificación o una orden judicial para llevarnos. Claro que no enseñaron ningún papel que probara la legitimidad de nuestro arresto. Los curiosos se agolpaban alrededor y yo gritaba “Auxilio, estos hombres nos quieren secuestrar”, pero ellos pararon a los que querían intervenir con un grito que revelaba todo el trasfondo ideológico de la operación: “No se metan, estos son unos contrarrevolucionarios”. Ante nuestra resistencia verbal, tomaron el teléfono y dijeron a alguien que debió ser su jefe: “¿Qué hacemos? No quieren subir al auto”. Imagino que del otro lado la respuesta fue tajante, porque después vino una andanada de golpes, empujones, me cargaron con la cabeza hacia abajo e intentaron colarme en el carro. Me aguanté de la puerta… golpes en los nudillos… alcancé a quitarle un papel que uno de ellos llevaba en el bolsillo y me lo metí en la boca. Otra andanada de golpes para que les devolviera el documento.
Adentro ya estaba Orlando, inmovilizado en una llave de kárate que lo mantenía con la cabeza pegada al piso. Uno puso su rodilla sobre mi pecho y el otro, desde el asiento delantero me daba en la zona de los riñones y me golpeaba la cabeza para que yo abriera la boca y soltara el papel. En un momento, sentí que no saldría nunca de aquel auto. “Hasta aquí llegaste, Yoani”, “Ya se te acabaron las payasadas” dijo el que iba sentado al lado del chófer y que me halaba el cabello. En el asiento de atrás un raro espectáculo transcurría: mis piernas hacia arriba, mi rostro enrojecido por la presión y el cuerpo adolorido, al otro lado estaba Orlando reducido por un profesional de la golpiza. Sólo acerté a agarrarle a éste —a través del pantalón— los testículos, en un acto de desespero. Hundí mis uñas, suponiendo que él iba a seguir aplastando mi pecho hasta el último suspiro. “Mátame ya” le grité, con la última inhalación que me quedaba y el que iba en la parte delantera le advirtió al más joven: “Déjala respirar”.
Escuchaba a Orlando jadear y los golpes seguían cayendo sobre nosotros, calculé abrir la puerta y tirarme, pero no había una manilla para activar desde adentro. Estábamos a merced de ellos y escuchar la voz de Orlando me daba ánimo. Después él me dijo que lo mismo le ocurría con mis entrecortadas palabras… ellas le decían “Yoani sigue viva”. Nos dejaron tirados y adoloridos en una calle de la Timba, una mujer se acercó “¿Qué les ha pasado?”… “Un secuestro”, atiné a decir. Lloramos abrazados en medio de la acera, pensaba en Teo, por Dios cómo voy a explicarle todos estos morados. Cómo voy a decirle que vive en un país donde ocurre esto, cómo voy a mirarlo y contarle que a su madre, por escribir un blog y poner sus opiniones en kilobytes, la han violentado en plena calle. Cómo describirle la cara despótica de quienes nos montaron a la fuerza en aquel auto, el disfrute que se les notaba al pegarnos, al levantar mi saya y arrastrarme semidesnuda hasta el auto.
Logré ver, no obstante, el grado de sobresalto de nuestros atacantes, el miedo a lo nuevo, a lo que no pueden destruir porque no comprenden, el terror bravucón del que sabe que tiene sus días contados.

Yoani Sánchez
La Habana

From Claudia Cadelo:

Friday at the Blogger Academy, we ended the day with a class on Cuban culture with Miriam. Relaxed atmosphere: the Tainos and their myths. Before leaving Ivan told me, “See you at five-thirty.” We had found out from friends we knew that Aldo, Luis Eligio, Amaury and other young people were going to walk today from 23rd and G Street to L Street, with signs against violence. A civic march in a country where citizenship has been kidnapped by the totalitarianism, where power has grown old and the ultimate death rattles of a collapsing system are a blind response, pure temper tantrum.

We stayed, Orlando Luis (Pardo Lazo), his girlfriend, Yoani and I, cleaning up until it was time for the march. We left the house nervous, but confident that we wouldn’t be alone. By G Street Orlando was making jokes that I don’t remember but I was falling out laughing. A man was masturbating in broad daylight in Zapata, Havana looked the same as always.

The bus stop for the P11 was full, at 27th and G, the only corner from where you can catch something to take you to Alamar. The car appeared from nowhere, yellow plates, a new Chinese model: money for repression. “Let’s go in comfort,” Yoani said to me jokingly, and the guys got out with faces that were not pleasant, it must be sad to be a thug. We refused to get in the car, there were three of them and they threatened us:

"Get in the car, now."
"Let us see your documents, or wear a uniform."

Orlando had his cell phone in his hand. “Pardo, don’t record,” said the said the one in the orange shirt, and I got my cell out. Nobody noticed me, I sent the first Tweet…

In less than three minutes a patrol car came up with a couple of cops—a woman and a man—completely dumbstruck by the scene. The carried out their orders almost in slow motion, the woman told me:

"Don’t resist."
"They are undocumented," it occurred to me to enlighten her.

Yoani was clinging to a bush, I was clinging to her waist, and the woman was pulling me by the leg. They had already dragged Orlando off, outside my field of vision. A man stopped, looking on with an expression of terror, people didn’t say a single word. The officer, very young, got me in an armlock that immobilized me, I could have kicked a little but I was too astonished at seeing Yoani’s legs sticking out of the rear window of the State Security car.

They shoved me into the patrol car while I was screaming, “Yoani! Yoani!” But I realized that no one could hear me, everything was hermetically sealed, Orlando’s girlfriend was struggling with the police, Yoani’s body was being pushed headfirst into the car, and Orlando’s telephone flew out through the window… I sent the second Tweet hoping someone would be able to understand it with my terrible typing. The girl cop got in the patrol car and said to me,

“Why did you resist? We don’t want to hit you.”
“You almost ripped my shirt,” said the other PNR (National Revolutionary Police), meanwhile putting Orlando’s girlfriend in the car.

They looked embarrassed, for a moment I thought they were going to apologize:

“Do you have your identity cards handy,” she said, almost sweetly, and passed us Orlando’s phone which wouldn’t stop ringing.

Unfortunately, the one in the orange shirt got in and shut the door… I fell over. The police fell silent and started the dialog.

“Claudia, turn off the telephone.”
“Forget it.”
“How disgusting,” said Orlando’s girlfriend.
The rest pure insult, a surrealistic rage.

“Your name is not going to go down in history,” he said.
“I don't care, you don’t even have a name.”
“Then it will be worse.”
“Your threats are your fear. That’s their purpose.”
“Comedian.”

Stepping foot on the corner by Yoani’s house made me dizzy, there was no light in the building, I couldn’t get anyone’s cell, and I was losing my balance. Then the first call came with a 00 international prefix and I knew nothing had been in vain, even if we had all been arrested and the march suspended. When, later, I saw the video that Ciro brought me I knew for certain: They lost, it’s the countdown.

If there is anyone who understands what is at stake in the current crisis in Honduras, it is former political prisoner and US ambassador with the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, Armando Valladares.
Via email:

Obama's Kerenskyism, Honduras and the Chavist Abyss

Just like President Eduardo Frei Montalva passed to history as the Chilean Kerensky for paving the road to socialist Allende, president Obama is at risk of passing to history as the Americas' Kerensky if pushing Honduras into the Chavist abyss

By Armando Valladares, July 21, 2009, 10:50 AM

When Honduras' president Zelaya was deposed from power by order of the Supreme Court of that country, and with the majority support by the congress, Honduras was fast moving toward a Chavist dictatorship, crossing over the constitution and the laws. In addition to Honduras highest judicial body, the most prominent political and religious representatives of that country were warning about the Chavist risk.

However, nor president Obama, nor OAS's General secretary, Chilean socialist Insulza; nor the "moderate" president of Brazil, Lula da Silva; not even -- as far as we know -- any other Latin-American president said a word about the event. Self-determination was alleged, as well as the need for a dialogue, respect for internal political processes, etc.

All of those political players had the chance to intercede in behalf of Honduras, and although those opportunities are surely very recent, all of them preferred to wash their hands, as Pilate. I would like to point out two recent chances.

First, the Trinidad and Tobago Summit of the Americas, close to Honduras, where president Obama, with his neo-kerenskist style, was all smiles with dictator-president Chávez, flirted with Zelaya himself and with other indigenous-populist presidents, such as Equator's Correa and Bolivian Morales, praised "moderate" Lula and announced he was willing to dialog and establish "a new beginning" with the bloody Castro dictatorship.

Second, at the OAS General Assembly, that through a history irony was held in Honduras, with the approval of the Obama government, the Castro dictatorship was acquitted and the doors were opened for the country to return to the international body.

Under their own noses and before their own eyes, the chancellors of the governments of the Americas could feel and see the grave internal Honduras situation, but all of them would rather wash their hands, like Pilate did.

It was when Zelaya was taken from power, ordered by the Supreme Court and based on constitutional precepts that impede a president to be re-elected, that their vestments were torn off and one of the greatest joint clamors of both leftists and "useful moderates" of contemporary history cried out, with a true fury against a small country that decided to resist to those pressures. A small country that became gigantic spiritually, inspired by Saint Paul's expression, with expectations "against all human hopes", but expecting all from the Providence and recalling the biblical character of David against Goliath, for those who care for the Honduran drama.

At the moment when I am writing these lines, deposed president Zelaya threatens to return to Honduras where, according to that country's Cardinal warning, he will be responsible for any brother-to-brother bloodshed that may occur. In view of the Honduran resistance, even dictator-president Chávez looks at president Obama and hopes he breaks the Honduran resistance against the country's Chavism. Also when I am writing these very lines, news are spread that secretary of state Hillary Clinton has just called the interim president of Honduras, and there are versions that she has given him a sort of ultimatum. It is the same secretary Clinton that in Honduras, at the recent OAS meeting, approved the acquittal of the bloody Castro dictatorship; the very secretary of state that, along with president Obama, is open for a dialog with the pro-terrorist Iranian government; opens her arms to the Cuban communists; meets and smiles with dictator-president Chávez; and shuts the door to the civil Honduran delegation that went to Washington simply to explain their version of the facts. There are two weights and two measures of an injustice, hypocrisy and arbitrariness that clamor to heavens.

As it has already been recalled, the Honduras' Cardinal warned deposed president Zelaya that he will be liable for the bloodshed that may take place should he force his way into his country.

As for myself, while being ex-political Cuban prisoner for 22 years in Castro's jails, in my condition of US ambassador with the United Nations Commission on Human Rights for several years and as a simple citizen of the Americas, I'm sure that just like president Eduardo Frei Montalva passed to history as the Chilean Kerensky for paving the road for socialist Allende, president Obama runs the risk of passing to History as the Americas' Kerensky if he helps to keep on pushing Honduras toward the Chavist abyss.
-----------------

Armando Valladares, former Cuban political prisoner, was the US ambassador with the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, in Geneva, during the Reagan and Bush governments. He has just been granted an important journalism award, in Rome, for his articles in behalf of freedom in Cuba and everywhere else in the world.

Please copy this article and distribute, Mr. Valladares endorses the free distribution of this article:
(Important: It is not only permitted, but it is rather requested for that this message is openly spread around, especially to Honduran and the whole world's media, in such a crucial moment when hours, minutes and even seconds may be decisive to prevent Honduras from falling down into the Chavist abyss, pushed not only by the Obama's Kerenskyism, but also by OAS's and the entire European Union's Kerenskyism, that has just reestablished the financial aid to communist Cuba and yet cut it off to anti-Chávez Honduras).

You can write your valuable opinion in El Heraldo, de Honduras (in English, Spanish or Portuguese), about Valladares' article, clicking in the following link:   Here

Destaque Internacional, July 21, 2009; El Heraldo, Honduras, July 23, 2009; Diario Las Américas, Miami, USA, July 24, 2009 (and many other publications and blogs).

Yesterday former House Speaker Newt Gingrich called for the withdrawal of Supreme Court judicial nominee Sotomayor because of what he considers racist remarks she made.

He has a point:

Mr. Gingrich, in his Twitter feed to more than 344,400 followers, called on Judge Sotomayor to withdraw from consideration to the high court. He said her remarks citing ethnic background as a reason for making better legal decisions, if spoken by a white male, would be disqualifying.

"Imagine a judicial nominee said, 'My experience as a white man makes me better than a Latina woman.' New racism is no better than old racism," Mr. Gingrich wrote on Twitter, which he uses regularly to discuss politics or promote his television appearances.

Later, during a White House press conference,  Secretary Gibbs responded to a question about Speaker Gingrich's remarks in a way I find very disturbing, in effect, warning that Sotomayor critics should be "exceedingly careful what they say." 

 Watch the Real Clear Politics video here and you tell me, is the Secretary's tone out of line?

Cubanet reports that on April 23, police along with members of the DTI (Department of Technical Investigation) seized thousands of DVD’s, and equipment from a neighborhood in Guanabacoa. Numerous people were taken to the police station, and at present, their whereabouts are unknown.

Who would want to visit a country where the people are not allowed to choose which movies to watch?  Why is the blackmarket the only way Cubans can access information not on the official state propaganda list?   Who gave the castro's slavemaster rights to 12 million people?

Isn't it time for real change in Cuba?

I'll believe it when the FCC kills any notion of its reinstatement.

Here's a nice slap-down of the ACLU and their stance on the controversial removal of "Vamos A Cuba" from Miami-Dade County school libraries by none other than Herald TV critic Glenn Garvin. This isn't totally surprising coming from Garvin, who's demonstrated some libertarian tendencies in his regular gig. Garvin has been assigned a biweekly opinion column, so we may be seeing more of this type of stuff which would be a refreshing change for the Miami Herald.

This just in: Those demented fascists at the Miami-Dade School Board are banning books again. A careful check of school libraries shows there is not a single copy to be had of Babbette Cole's Mommy Laid An Egg, Or Where Do Babies Come From? You can take that title very literally, by the way; the book includes several colorful illustrations of Mommy and Daddy performing the act that leads to babies -- on skateboards, in a bouncy Space Hopper, in balloons in mid-air. Oh, and because Mommy Laid An Egg is a product of modern, nonsexist pedagogy, equal time is given to positions with Mommy on top. (Some people -- reactionaries, of course -- even refer to the book as ``The Kama Sutra for Kids.'')

Also missing: The Poisonous Mushroom, a collection of children's short stories by the Nazi writer Ernst Hiemer, which takes its title from a mother's helpful gardening tip to her son: ``Just as a single poisonous mushroom can kill a whole family, so a solitary Jew can destroy a whole village.''

And don't even get me started on all the potentially useful how-to books our school libraries have cruelly banned, from Loompanics Unlimited's Secrets of Methamphetamine Manufacture: Including Recipes For MDA, Ecstasy, and Other Psychedelic Amphetamines (sometimes you really can tell a book from its cover) to the venerable hippie self-help manual The Anarchist Cookbook, which not only explains how to make explosives at home but exactly where to place them to bring down a bridge.

But don't worry. Now that I've brought it to their attention, I'm sure the ACLU will be down at the federal courthouse sometime this afternoon securing the rights of Miami-Dade kids to get stoned, spout racist gibberish and blow things up, all on the taxpayer tab. To the ACLU, the First Amendment doesn't just guarantee free speech, but the right to make taxpayers subsidize and promote your speech, no matter how offensive and idiotic they find it.

That's the theory at the root of the ACLU's lawsuit to force the School Board to keep Vamos a Cuba (A Visit to Cuba), a smiley-face depiction of children's life under Fidel Castro. (''People in Cuba eat, work, and go to school like you do.'' Except for the secret police and rationing and stuff.)

When the board voted to boot Vamos a Cuba out of school libraries nearly four years ago, it didn't ban the book. Parents who really think Castro's Cuba is a barrel of laughs can still buy it; kids who bring it to school won't be suspended or have their copies confiscated. The ACLU can keep a copy of Vamos a Cuba in its office for all those throngs of fans it seems to think are lurking across the county, and no jack-booted police will kick in the doors to seize it.

All the School Board did was say that no more public money be spent to buy or distribute the book, a perfectly reasonable response to taxpayers angered that their money was going to purchase something they considered, rightly or wrongly, to be trash. It is no more an act of censorship than if Howard Simon, executive director of the ACLU's Florida operations, decided to cancel his Miami Herald subscription about three paragraphs into this column.

That's exactly what a federal appeals court decided last week in ruling against the ACLU's lawsuit charging the School Board with unconstitutional censorship. ''The board did not ban any book,'' wrote Judge Ed Carnes in the majority opinion for the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. ``The board removed from its own school libraries a book that the board had purchased for those libraries with board funds. It did not prohibit anyone else from owning, possessing or reading the book.''

It may seem quaint at a time when Congress is dispensing bailout money like it came packaged with Monopoly boards, but publicly funded institutions have a responsibility to the people who cough up the money. Librarians may imagine themselves high priests, beyond the control of mere mortals, but the School Board correctly recognized them for what they are: public employees, accountable to the people who pay their salaries.

Was the School Board's decision to yank Vamos a Cuba political? Sure, just as the decision to purchase it in the first place was political. (And the book itself is political too, as most of the School Board's critics would surely admit if we were talking about, say, Vamos a South Africa back in apartheid days.) That's what control of public money is, politics.

The First Amendment, no matter what the ACLU says, was not written to guarantee the rights of hogs to help themselves to the public trough while promoting their philosophies or ideologies. In fact, the Founding Fathers thought quite the opposite. Thomas Jefferson believed one of the main problems with establishing a state religion was that it was a crime against taxpayer conscience. ''To compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves and abhors,'' Jefferson wrote, ''is sinful and tyrannical.'' I wouldn't be surprised if the ACLU sues him, too.