Front page and a double page inside. What did Fidel do to improve these "relations?" Free a political prisoner? Grant some visas? Open up the press or the internet? Nope, nope and nada. Instead, these TOOLS went down to spend some bucks, play some chess and put a nice face on a mass-murdering criminal enterprise. No mention of firing squads, political prisoners or 50 years of dictatorial rule. The sponsor of the trip Magaly Spector and her family actually boated off the isle-prison in 1980 for Key West. If caught, she would have been jailed or shot.
She returns to betray the Cuban patriots languishing in Fidel's prisons or sleeping in unmarked graves. The article does mention the "azure seas" of an island paradise where Fidel chased off the nasty US corporations so that the Cubans wouldn't live under the iron yoke of economic progress and opportunity like the rest of us.
Nice job, UTD!
My favorite photo in the spread is of one of the Dallas young men playing chess while eight hip-looking young women watch from the nearest rope line. You KNOW these young ladies are chess fanatics! One even has a belt buckle on her low-riders that says "pinup." They couldn't be brought in just to distract the visitors? And I'm sure the regime long ago quit encouraging prostitutes in the tourist-only hotel district. (photo in the slide show that goes with the story)
So, with that, I end my daily reading of the DMN. I didn't subscribe, I BOUGHT a newstand copy nearly every day at Brady's Coffee (1.00 Yanqui American) or Sunday at a gas station on the way to Cafe Tazza (3.00 Yanqui American) where I drank coffee and ate breakfast brought to me by the economic engine driven by US Corporations driven from Cuba......
God bless the Cuban People. I pray for their freedom from the Castro brothers who have enslaved them for half a century.
Three bucks this morning. I'm going to call and ask for my money back.
But that's it. I'm done. I'll never buy a Dallas Morning News again.
Update: My letter to the Dallas Morning News reporter and Belo Board of Directors:
Mr. Granberry: You've heard the old joke about arguing with idiots- they drag you down to their level and then beat you up with their greater experience, so there is little point in listing the grievous and ahistorical points of your front page story in the Sunday edition of the Dallas Morning News. I should point out one salient fact: The Castro Regime REPRESSES the free press in Cuba and kills or imprisons those who dare speak out or protest. YOU are in a business that makes it's BUSINESS, (or used to), to present facts, speak out and publish in a free manner. You should perhaps give some thought before acting as a tool for such monstrous criminal enterprises as the Castro brothers.
The publication of your story on it's front page ends my forty years of buying and reading the Dallas Morning News. I'll never buy another issue.
Robert Langham
Tyler, Texas
The publication of your story on it's front page ends my forty years of buying and reading the Dallas Morning News. I'll never buy another issue.
Robert Langham
Tyler, Texas
Update: Their letter back to me:
Goodness gracious, Mr. Langham, was it that bad? First of all, I appreciate hearing from you and love the fact that you have read us for 40 years. THANK YOU! Let's see if we can make this right for you. I have gotten some very angry e-mail, which was hardly my intention. Keep in mind, this was A CHESS MATCH, played between kids in their 20s. Magaly Spector, the focus of the story, CHOSE to leave Cuba because of its lack of freedoms -- which is made clear in the story. She neither condones nor celebrates the Cuban government, nor do I. Far from it. But Cuba is full of good people, who, like any of us, long for peace and prosperity. They're stuck with what they've got. And they have an incredible resolve despite the obstacles put in front of them. I do take issue with your suggestion that my story is inaccurate or poorly reported. Quite the contrary, sir. We'll just have to agree to disagree about that. But you have no idea how deeply we appreciate your being so loyal to us over the years, and if one story is able to derail that, I am truly sorry. As for me being an idiot, well, get in line on that one. Have you been talking to my ex-wife? I am also sorry that you thought I was acting as a "tool" for the Castro brothers, who in many, many ways have been despicable. But again, not the point of my story, whether they have been or not. Again, chess and peace among normal peoples were the reason for the UTD trip, which was carried out in spite of the Castro regime, not because of it. Again, thank you so much for your loyalty. I would hope that you would re-consider your decision and give me and the paper another chance. All the best, Michael
5 comments:
Robert, I understand. I haven't bought one in years. I remember when the Dallas News was a reral newspaper and I bought one every day. But as you say, "No more".
UD or UTD? This entry mentions both The University of Dallas (UD)and The University of Texas (UTD)at Dallas. These are two completely separate and unrelated schools. UD is a private, liberal arts university. UTD is a branch of the large state university. They are not the same.
You're right. It's UTD. Corrected and thanks.
If anything, I think you'd have been VERY upset, and rightly so, with UTD for allowing their students to go to Cuba. UTD and the students are the useful tools/fools here.
It seems to me (but only from your post) that the DMN was just reporting on the event. But I have no idea which slant their bias was when doing so.
B Woodman
III-per
For years I have found it more than slightly ironic that the Dallas Morning News used to be the 'conservative' newspaper back when they had competition ie. another (but liberal) newspaper in town.
They successfully put their left leaning competition out of business and almost immediately moved their editorial staff toward the left until now there is no difference between them and the paper they put out of business.
They should remember the old axiom about learning from history or being doomed to repeat it.
A.
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