Elian=s Father, U.S. Parents can breathe a sigh of relief
Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. had this reaction to today=s Supreme Court decision allowing Elian Gonzalez to return to Cuba with his father, Juan Miguel Gonzalez:
>Juan Miguel Gonzalez and parents across the nation can breathe a sigh of relief today. I agree with the Supreme Court=s decision allowing him to return to Cuba with his son, Elian. The high court ultimately reaffirmed a parent=s fundamental right to be their child=s primary caregiver. Our federal laws are meaningless if they cannot protect our most precious institution, the family.
>This case was about a father wanting to raise his son. At a time when almost 36% of all U.S. children do not live with their biological father, we should be encouraging father to take responsibility for their children. Juan Miguel has done so. The love uniting Juan Miguel and Elian transcends the water and ideology dividing the U.S. and Cuba.
>Both men who would lead our government in less than a year were willing to undermine the sacred bond between parent and child. Their state=s rights position supported Florida=s family court and other state-based remedies that kept young Elian separated from his father. Their views contradicted our core valuesBvalues held by the vast majority of Americans. Are the presidential candidates truly prepared to uphold, as well as mold, federal laws which serve the union=s best interest?
>Many members of Miami=s Cuban community did not serve their interest well during Elian=s sad stay. Their hate for Fidel Castro blinded them to a six-year old child=s real need for his only serving parent. That hate also transcended their regard for the laws of this nation, which they claimed to hold in high regard. That hate may have prompted other Americans to view their concerns about the Castro regime less sympathetically.
>It is unfortunate that Elian was used as a vehicle for anti-Castro forces to express their discontent. However, that chapter of Elian=s life is finally over. I am happy for him and his family, and wish them well as Elian resumes his life at home in Cuba.=