Letter: U.S. should show its greatness by helping Cuba

Friday, Nov. 30, 2001 | 9:22 a.m.

In recent weeks, appeals to address the suffering of the people of Afghanistan have been made to the American public, and in particular to American children, by President Bush, to send a dollar to help the children of that country.

While providing help to these people is certainly high-minded and caring, qualities too often in short supply in our me-centered society, I wonder if any of our country's leaders has the courage to suggest we do the same for our neighbor to the south, in our own back yard, Cuba.

This country suffered a catastrophic hurricane recently, causing hundreds of thousands of dollars damage and compounding the difficulties that it has endured over the past 42 years by a mean-spirited and pointless embargo -- kept in place not for reasons pertaining to its goal, to topple Fidel Castro, but to appease a powerful voting constituency in South Florida.

If we can, with any conscience, do business with China, one of the most repressive regimes in the world, in order to "keep doors open to the West," why can't we also do business, or try to win that same war over political hearts, with Cuba? We could demonstrate to the free world that it is nothing less than a remarkable enlightenment that characterizes our great country.

JOHN H. ESPERIAN