But certainly not for a Batista led Cuba where the Guardia Civil panders to the Chicago mob and the mobs from Chicago, N.Y. and New Jersey all filter their desires in Cuba through Tampa's Santo Traficante.

The Cuba I mourn for existed before my own government made it a criminal act to travel there. Are conditions as bad in Cuba as I hear reported by the Miami Cuban community? I don't know, but I do know I distrust the information on Cuba that comes from those who look for a return with plans to disposess the Cubans that might be living in a home at one time occupied by a Miamian's grandfather.

A Key West county attorney friend of mine had a conversation with a new attorney staff member of Cuban descent. The American born lawyer said something to the effect of "Boy, I sure will be glad when Castro dies!" His boss asked him, "what difference does it make to you?" He answered, "why, then I can go to Cuba and re-claim my grandfather's old house." His boss asked, "what about the people who have been living in the house for the past 50 years and consider it their house?" The Miamian answered, "they can go back to being servants, like they were before."

I am sure this arrogant attitude would have no problem going back to the day when the beautiful Tropicana was "Lefty Clark's Tropicana."

Personally, I would. I find it difficult to understand a government that prohibits me from traveling to Cuba and allows me to freely travel to Viet Nam. It is repugnant to me that my government wants to protect intellectual property in China, while allowing a Swedish company to have manufactured a Cohiba cigar in the Dominican Republic and Ignore the right of the Cohiba cigar company in Cuba because they are in Cuba.

As long as my government is afraid to let me travel to Cuba and see what the conditions are for myself, I cannot accept the word of disgruntled expats from Cuba that fled to Miami to give me an accurate picture of what is happening there. I used to like to go to Cuba. I would like to go back again.

Publius