Wet Foot – Dry Foot??

I will admit I have always had a strange sort of fascination with Cuba and all that is Cuban. Since Joshua’s experimenting with Democratic Socialism in the 70’s (I was a yout then!) I have become quite aware of our large "Scary" neighbour to the North (well south now). When I was old enough, or rather able to earn the cash, I of course had to go and check it out for myself a couple of times. Beautiful yet strange country. That whole Gitmo thing too, weird! Forget the politics involved in current development, the place and people nuh normal! But de gyal dem KRIS!!
Anyway I am sure most of you recently heard about the 15 would-be Cuban immigrants that got sent back to Havana after ending their 90 mile "cruise" on a piece of the old Florida Keys causeway bridge (that runs parallel to the newer one), and not actually on U.S soil. Apparently the section that they climbed on to does not connect with actual dry land any longer, therefore a US judge ruled that they had not actually reached and set foot on US territory and had to be sent back. He invoked the current policy for Cuban refugees that stated simply says, once you are caught at sea you are promptly returned to Cuba, but if you touch US soil you can stay. The Wet Foot, Dry Foot Policy; a way to appease Miami’s Cuban voters, yet control any potential flood of Cuban boat people. A soft hand with a firm line drawn in the sand. Boy! Last week that line did get kind of murky!
I really sat and pondered the situation as most issues regarding immigration always quickly get my attention. Were any of the local police and/or Coast Guard personnel that discovered them Cuban-American (or even descendants)? They must have been!! Who isn’t in South Florida? Couldn’t they have given their people a bligh (break)? Could they have just said, "Okay guys just for the record, if anybody asks, we actually found you guys on the REAL causeway bridge and not the old broken down one okay? Only just in case it ever comes up". But no they had to dig for that one little loophole; the Cubans could not actually become dry feet unless they went back in the water, just for a few yards, in order to actually walk on US soil. Do they not want any new Cubans to land in Florida? Does the judge not want anymore green Cubans either? He could have easily ruled in their favour and nobody would have questioned his judgement. The bridge, but for a few yards, no longer connected to actual US soil, WOW! Mi woulda vex! Woman and children! That had to be heart-breaking for the children. I don’t care about the adults, but when it comes to kids, cut dem a break nuh?? Well at least the kids will get a much better education in Cuba, they can add to the island’s 71,000 doctors, but no PSP2, Xbox, iPods, etc. They will have to learn Fidel’s speeches by heart too, but that’s a small sacrifice to pay.
Of course this incident also brought to light the fact that the US Coast Guard turned back over 150 "wet feet" to Cuba in December alone, tings a gwarn and we don’t even know!