It could never happen here.
I am from a generation whose members all knew how to tuck and cover or run to the back of the classroom and hide under the blackboard/coat racks. The nun’s attempts at maintaining the gravity and solemnity of the drill was always interrupted by Jimmy Curry’s bodily functions or Phil Anderson’s attempts to kiss Patricia Generette. Those of you shaking their heads in acknowledgment also realize that we were an anachronism of the cold war. In reality it’s not practical to prepare for an atomic blast in St. Petersburg Beach where I grew up. The only comforting factor was that consequences would include no longer being subjected to Sister Techla Marie’s harassment.
Fast forward to August, 2010. I had dinner with some Cuban friends last night. In their mid twenties they were forced to immigrate to the US or remain in a communist Cuban prison or work camp. George moved to Florida with his lovely wife Consuela in 1960. He worked 16 hours a day in the sugar factory in south Florida. This was quite a contrast for the family had roots, heritage, wealth, estates and a country of their own several weeks prior. There move to Florida and a new life was thought to be temporary. The underground and Cuban immigrants knew that the US would never allow a communist country to flourish so close to its borders. Shortly after George and Consuela arrived in Florida, Kennedy’s pitiful attempt at restoring a Democratic government failed spectacularly. Consuela’s brother survived in the swamps of cuba for three months after the Bay of Pigs until finding his way to the Panamanian embassy where he would hide for another 8 months. If you talk to any of the proud Cuban immigrants still waiting to return to their native shore, they will tell you that not one of them were prepared or could believe that the US government would allow six million Cubans to live in what they considered slavery. Keep in mind that Cuba..one of the largest producers of sugar in the world at that time must now import sugar.
The discussion drifted that night to Castro’s reappearance on the political front. It seems that Castro’s dying message will be that we are soon to be consumed in a nuclear holocaust. These are fear tactics the Cubans are used to in the states. George commented that he is fairly certain that Cuba has a nuclear weapon left from the Missile Crisis (tuck and roll…3rd grade drills). He sees many parallels in how the current Cuban regime secured power to the progression on the political front here in the US….through fear, divide and conquer, followed by the redistribution of wealth. Sound familiar?
We are on the precipice. Do the Israeli’s really have less than a week to destroy Iran’s nuclear facility in Bushehr, before risking wide spread contamination once the nuclear fuel rods were in the reactor (John Bolton/Washington A/P file). Surely the US wouldn’t let this happen. Remember millions of ex pat Cubans knew the US wouldn’t let Cuba plunge into socialism.
Maybe it’s time to practice duck and cover drills again. Teach kids how to recognize the sound of incoming missiles. It won’t do much good…it won’t be a missile here, rather several suitcases plastered with travel stickers from the Mid East and Europe. That could never happen here……
Well, you can always come and visit me in Abaco. We are already used to a nearly complete absence of useful electricity. If you go to the grocery store in TC before wednesday, all you will get are lemons, plantains and some canned goods. But…we can spear hogfish, catch crawfish and stonecrab. There is a good supply of fresh water and I don’t believe we are in the crosshairs of North Korea, Iran, Cuba or a couple of hundred radical muslim groups with good travel agents. Were not concerned with the redistrubution of wealth…because there is not a predominance of monetary wealth here.
