LETTER TO THE EDITOR (06/18/00)

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

The facts in case of Elian Gonzalez

Dear Editor:

The Kuropas article concerning Elian Gonzalez ("The Fossil Wins, Again," April 30) is certainly replete with strongly worded opinions but regrettably devoid of facts about the circumstances surrounding the "snatching of Elian by the combat-geared stormtroopers." Please allow me to cite the known facts concerning Elian.

Elian Gonzalez was rescued at sea and entered the United States as an undocumented alien. As such, legally he fell under the jurisdiction of the INS (Immigration and Naturalization Service). Relatives in Miami then cared for him. A custody hearing took place where the relatives could argue their case and where his natural father, upon being interviewed by authorities, was awarded custody. The Miami relatives refused to accept the court verdict and stated, more than once, that the authorities will have to use force to retrieve Elian. Legally, the relatives were guilty of forced detention, a rather serious offense on the level of kidnapping.

In the meantime, the neighborhood around the Gonzalez house became a setting for a media circus with demonstrating Cuban Americans parading in front of cameras; in some instances the demonstrators would disperse as soon as the reporters went elsewhere.

After weeks of negotiating, the attorney general concluded that the relatives were stalling and had no intention to give up Elian. Deadlines passed and there was still no result - just a new set of demands. In the meantime, the mayor of Miami stated on record that Miami authorities would not cooperate with the INS. Furthermore, groups of Cuban Americans, some of them known to authorities to carry legal concealed weapons, vowed to resist any attempt to remove Elian.

Against this background, the attorney general, with the explicit approval of President Bill Clinton, obtained a federal warrant authorizing the INS to enter the house where Elian was held, remove him from the relatives and transfer him to the custody of his father. In order to avoid potential violent riots, the warrant was executed suddenly at night. The INS agents approached the house, knocked on the door, identified themselves and stated their purpose. When the inhabitants would not open, the door was forcefully battered down and a Spanish-speaking agent removed the boy. The entire incident was over in about two minutes

By using inappropriate comparisons, Dr. Kuropas shows, at best, an ignorance of the workings of the Nazi Sturmabteilung and the Soviet KGB. But, even allowing for the poetic license to exaggerate, such comparisons are ludicrous. My former mathematics professor, world-renowned in his field, once stated that it is possible to come to most any conclusion if one chooses to pick only the facts that confirm the thesis and to ignore those that do not fit. Oh, how true!

Let me remind Dr. Kuropas that this country is based on the rule of law. We use courts to settle disputes - not street demonstrations or outbursts of rhetoric. Citizens are expected to obey the laws and court decisions, for doing otherwise they simply promote lawless anarchy.

Ivan Pelech
Parsippany, N.J.

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