Against all odds someone knows about Fariñas - Thanks Rev Straut

I mentioned this briefly as an aside in a comment to another post but CB & I think it merits its own post. I have always been of the opinion that you go and as calculating as you can be you concentrate on a target that CAN help you with a goal and go for it. I think geeks call it thinking outside the envelope . I call it "creative considerations"

We have been discussing Fariñas amongst ourselves since day one and it had gotten us nothing.

The kicking out of Lucia Newman, gave us a sliver of importance (which most people overlooked) Now, here was a USA citizen being punished for going against KaSStro's wishes.
Hmmm Okey I have something to work with here

Fariñas is black.... Something else we have to work with here

Farrakhan is in Kuba.... Now we have a nice little package to bring to someone with enough reach to make something out of it, so I started making my phone calls.
My first target was reverend Sharpton (yes I know, you’d say SHARPTON ?.. YES THAT SHARPTON a well known KaSStro supporter, why? cause he is loud and he is after a GLOBAL presence so he can compete with Rev Jackson on a world stage .

Unfortunately Sharpton’s office numbers have all been turned private. CB suggested that there was an affiliation with him and the Riverside Church (a favorite Commie stop when one of those pricks visit NY)

So I tried to reach Sharpton at Riverside Church and was told they had no relations but wanted to know what my inquiry was.

I told the lady about Fariñas and in all honesty got a bit emotional and she sensed that , she mentioned she was on her way out but would give me the a number that may get me in touch with someone higher up who could help.

The number indeed got me to the offices of Rev. Charles Straut but he was gone for the day. I again went through the story with the young fellow who answered the phone telling him there was a black man dying of a hunger strike in Kuba because he was asking for free speech. The young man kindly connected me with Rev. Straut’s voice mail

I left a very lengthy message explaining the situation. I really did not think that I would hear from him, but as long as I had gotten that far..

Well, 2 days later I received a voice mail on my cell from Rev Straut himself apologizing for the delay and leaving both his HOME number and his personal cell.

We played phone tag for a day and finally about 7PM on Wed he called me back.

He sounded like an afable kind man pronouncing my name VERY slowly and clearly (I dont have a really easy Spanish first name) He listened VERY carefully. He asked a LOT about Fariñas (was he in jail ? the reason for this is that if he was in jail then KaSStro could contend that he had broken some law)

I recited the facts that black dissidence in Kuba is a lot more persecuted than white dissidence because blacks are supposed to be the downtrodden people the "revolution" was supposed to free. The reverend quietly agreed that that just did not look good for KaSSTro. Then I mentioned Biscet. The reverend had no idea who this was and again asked a lot of questions about him.

I mentioned to him these were men that followed very peaceful doctrines based on Dr. Martin Luther King & Gandhi that were by NO means taking arms against KaSSTro and indeed were speaking in very quiet and respectful statements of non-violent resistance , but the fact that these voices were coming from black men, did more damage to KaSStro than any USA invasion could. I then compared Fariñas and Biscet to Rosa Parks and the reverend did see the connection.

I also mentioned the disgusting reference of KaSStro to the killing of the three young black men as " those three lil niggers" (another gasp from the Reverend)

He was VERY candid he told me he could not guarantee that there was anything they could do to save Fariñas life BUT, that the next morning (Thursday) he would call the elders of the congregation to investigate my claims of black dissident persecution in Kuba and the Fariñas and Biscet cases in particular and that if enough evidence or information was found they would act accordingly either by ensuing a note of protest to the media or by somehow reaching KaSStro himself in a statement of repudiation. He PROMISED me that this Sunday during services the congregation would be told about these Cubans in Kuba and that there would be a special prayer for them. This REALLY broke me down.

I mentioned that Minister Farrakhan was in Kuba and that we hoped that his visit was to intercede for Fariñas but so far all we had seen were a lot of slaps in the backs and a lot of laughter between KaSSTro and Farrakhan and that the official visit of Farrakhan was to promote the Muslim religion in Kuba.

(long silence on the part of Rev. Straut on this, but NO comment. This is one HONORABLE man !)

He then asked me what was my relationship to Fariñas that I was so adamant and emotional I told him "He is my countryman and he’s offering his life so my people be free, it is the LEAST I can do" now HE got emotional. "Good enough he said ... He reiterated his promises and blessed us ALL Cubans (we owe this gentleman BIG TIME!)

He promised he would call me back one way or another but not to loose hope and pray to our Lord that he would be doing the same. He did mention that sometimes good men MUST die so that others can live peaceful lives and mentioned our Lord and Martin Luther King.

So in closing guys ... it PAYS to push and I think that as long as we keep preaching to the converts we achieve VERY little. Sometimes the least likely of posibilities will be the one to surprise you and become your most fierce ally.

Just a thought NOT to be afraid to reach out to ANYONE who can help you, regardless of what you think of them.