Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Marco Rubio's Speech April 13th on African Americans. By Geniusofdespair

African Slaves came here and were kept here against their will. I doubt to "build the freest and most prosperous nation ever."

Text of Marco Rubio's Presidential Candidacy Speech April 13th at the Freedom Tower:
In this very room five decades ago, tens of thousands of Cuban exiles began their new lives in America. Their story is part of the larger story of the American miracle. How, united by a common faith in their God given right to go as far as their talent and work would take them, a collection of immigrants and exiles, former slaves and refugees, became one people, and together built the freest and most prosperous nation ever.
I guess if you are Black you are forever defined as a slave. He didn't say anything else about African Americans, but a lot about Cubans and his values. Fabiola Santiago, columnist for the Miami Herald said about Marco Rubio and his speech:
He’s a throwback to a time when women and African Americans had to fight for their rights, their dignity, and the “opportunity” that, according to Rubio, everyone has experienced in exceptional America for the last two centuries. He forgot that blacks had to wage quite a fight in the 1960s to win the right to be treated as human beings. How regretful and embarrassing that his only mention of African Americans was about their nation-building contributions as “former slaves.”

Like Fabiola, this passage of the speech bothered me. Especially when every ethnic and racial group in Florida is so far apart. Cubans came here of their own freewill  and were welcomed. Maybe it was dangerous for them in their homeland but they were not dragged here in chains and sold to the highest bidder.


20 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow, talk about splitting hairs. Yesterday he was too short; today he does not mention African Americans in a good light. Can't wait to read tomorrow's character assassination AND I don't even plan to vote for the guy based on his environment stand.

Anonymous said...

I don’t ever expect honest dialogue on this site…..but this is border line comical.

Geniusofdespair said...

Read Fabiola Santiago. If you have a beef with me you have one with the Miami Herald. She assainated the entire speech.

It could’ve, would’ve, should’ve been a proud moment for all Cuban-Americans to see a Miami son make a bid for the U.S. presidency.

After all, Republican Sen. Marco Rubio certainly pulled at the heart strings using the historic Freedom Tower where Cuban refugees were processed during the Freedom Flights as the backdrop to his prime news hour announcement Monday night.

But in his ambitious quest to win Anglo conservative voters in Middle America, Rubio chose — and charted again in his presidential campaign speech — a political path that put him at odds with the uniqueness and progressiveness of contemporary South Florida.

It’s not that he’s a Republican, it’s that Rubio is an ultra conservative Republican who rose to power by embracing tea party right-wing ideology with evangelic eagerness. As we say in English and Spanish, he’s become more papist than the pope. Only his Texan counterpart and rival for the GOP nomination, Sen. Ted Cruz, is more extremist in his views. They’re both bad choices for the Republican Party if winning the presidency in a demographically changing country is what they seek.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/news-columns-blogs/fabiola-santiago/article18530468.html#storylink=cpy

Anonymous said...

Looks like the trolls will be out in force for Marco Rubio. I like your post.

Anonymous said...

Marco is out of touch with most recent issues.
No such thing as sea level rise
Against raising minimum wage
Supported Indiana's anti gay law
Against Iran deal without seeing final document
Against Cuba initiative
Is in favor of all budget cuts except defense, no matter who is impacted
Is against most immigration initiatives even when he authors' them

Marco has no real vision for the country, and as a Florida legislator had no vision for the state

Anonymous said...

There is a big difference being slave and living under a dictatorship. Cubans don't get it (and never will) and that is disrespectful to all African Americans when they make comparisons to both.

Anonymous said...

Good thing there are no Dutch boat captains or their ancestors running for President.
Fabiola who sucks and is never worth reading would be apoplectic.

Woes ME said...

There are always differences but lets not get into my peoples plight was worse than yours argument. Cuban-Americans according too last anon maybe clueless on certain issues, I'm sure other folks can say african americans, asian americans, irisj americans etc etc don't get one issue or another. At the end of the day from the pilgrims on we all came here to become Americans.
Much to the chagrin of Native Americans who could argue they got a raw deal.

Anonymous said...

Since when did a politician speak anything approximating the truth? Politicians are only interested in winning votes - they'll say anything that will get them votes and Rubio's appeal to American Exceptionalism in the midst of a Depression is a ray of hope for those who haven't yet given up. Rubio is an ass, but all politicians are.

Anonymous said...

The Cubans had advantages in this Country not afforded to any other group of people. They rose to power with the help of the government. I resent his characterization of Cubans as slaves. Shame on him. Has he ever had to do an honest days work?

Geniusofdespair said...

I don't think he was characterizing Cubans as slaves. He was saying we all built this country, slaves included. An insult to revert back to slavery when you consider all that African Americans have fought against over the years (Selma, the KKK, lynchings, voter rights, separate but equal, etc) just to try to be treated as equals. The fight continues for them.

Belle Glade said...

A trip outside of Miami is a rude awakening for most Cubans. They realize they are not the center of the universe. When they drive through Texas they are likely to be stopped and that is a superb lesson on the real conservative America and what it means for most Hispanics, including them. Here in Miami they have a false sense of their own status only because they are the majority.

miaexile said...

His is not a serious campaign for Prez, it is an opportunity for rubio to garner more name recognition so when the moment comes for jebbie to pick him as running mate ,more people will be aware of who the short, combover thirsty man is

Anonymous said...

Rubio also mentioned that his dad worked a portable bar in the back of hotel banquet rooms but failed to mention that was a union job. The same hotel worker, maids and bar tender union local 255 that his mother was a member of.

Anonymous said...

The Miami New Times clearly defines Marco Rubio in an article written on Thursday, April 21, 2011 about Rubio. This article clearly states that Rubio says he was mentored and his beliefs are the same as Jessie Helms a senator from the south who voted to deny African Americans and other groups their civil rights. This defines Marco Rubio and others that I see as his best "buds".

Anonymous said...

I have never supported Marco Rubio. In fact I voted for Obama on two occasions and for Clinton another two. But reading some of the comments here, I can see the deep resentment some people in this community have against Cuban Americans. To criticize the man for being short and split hairs and criticize him for a speech line that praises the descendants of slaves for their part in constructing the foundation of America is wrong. Yes, I am a Cuban American and far from the pigeon box idea of what that represents to the prejudiced minded members of this community.

Anonymous said...

Anon above this is not against Cuban Americans. This is about Marco Rubio and his speech lines which are totally contradictory to what he says to us in a speech. I just read the New Times article and he said his mentor was a man who violated the equality of others. The problem with Rubio I do not believe anything he says. Maybe he just talks too much and does not remember what he says. .

Anonymous said...

Anon above this is not against Cuban Americans. This is about Marco Rubio and his speech lines which are totally contradictory to what he says to us in a speech. I just read the New Times article and he said his mentor was a man who violated the equality of others. The problem with Rubio I do not believe anything he says. Maybe he just talks too much and does not remember what he says. .

Ovidio DeLeon said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Tex Cube said...

Anon refering to Cuban Americans in Texas having a rude awakening due to being stopped. I would like to inform yall that I have had family their since the 60s (definetely not Cruz) have visited countless times and have never been stopped by immigration or asked to show proof of citizenship. So your point was?