 Tie A Yellow
Ribbon: Join The Just Cause To Free Elian
Gonzalez.
Press Release. For Immediate Release on
April 24, 2000 at 3:40pm
Disponible en Espaņol,
aqui.
The events of April 22, 2000 that resulted in the
forceful removal of the Cuban refugee child Elian
Gonzalez from the Gonzalez family residence in
Little Havana in Miami, Florida have shocked the
community and the nation. Our group convened
voluntarily in order to assist with medical,
psychological and psychiatric issues in this
difficult situation. Our first public
intervention occurred on April 14, 2000 dealing
with various psychological and psychiatric issues
in the case of Elian Gonzalez.
We come forth at this time to deal with the
aftermath of the forceful removal of Elian
Gonzalez from his place of residence in Little
Havana. The feelings of emptiness, sadness,
labile of emotions, anger, and inner pain have
been experienced all too commonly in our
community. Denying that there was a forceful
removal, claiming that there was no other way to
"solve the crisis", and that the
child's emotional and physical health were not
threatened may indeed sooth some, but will
invariably worsen and aggravate our feeling of
emptiness, sadness, impotence, labile of
emotions, anger, anxiety, separation and inner
pain.
It is imperative to ask for first a validation of
our facts and then to provide truthful acceptance
of responsibility. In this difficult process of
recovery from this ongoing crisis, we propose
that everyone who feels with us immediately tie a
yellow ribbon in the cars, the homes, and the
buildings. This pain of ours is a very difficult
pain because many of the crises that have dealt
with the Cuban nation since more than 40 years
ago are still unresolved. Therefore, we recommend
that each and everyone who feels hurt join with
others at work, at church, at prayer groups, at
clubs, community organizations to spread the work
of tying yellow ribbons around royal palm trees.
This is a most significant symbol since the royal
palm tree is the national tree of Cubans. Others
may prefer to join family members, friends,
neighbors, priests, ministers, and doctors to
place as many yellow ribbons out there as can be
imagined. The goal is to let everyone know how
much this intrusion into our community has hurt
and how much we pray for the freedom of Elian
Gonzalez with fair access to all his relatives
and friends.
Contact Persons: Dr Antonio Gordon,* (agordon@finlay-online.com)
Director, Finlay Institute,
PO Box 523096, Miami, Fl
305-556-6459, pager 305-841-4517
* Private office at 344 West
65 Street, Hialeah, Florida 33012
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