A brief digression to honor a VBM - Very Brave Man

Apologize for not keeping things more current with this blog - life gets in the way, sometimes; and sometimes there is competition for "computer access," more so when the competition is in the form of an active pre-teen who can run digital circles around her "snail generation" dad.

This blog is not meant to be primarily political, although by now it should be clear to our readers where, politically, the author and his family stand. And for that, there is no apology, and none is necessary. I've always believed that if everyone agrees with you, you are obviously doing something wrong. Therefore, whether or not anyone agrees with this, the subject of this post will digress from the continuing story of the Havana that was, in order to publicize the valiant fight - and the plight - of a Very Brave Man who is fighting for the very things we of the blogger brotherhood and sisterhood take for granted, too often.


This drawing is by Pat Texidor, a talented Cuban-American - or American-Cuban, as you wish. He is also author of Texidor Blog, which is quite nice and well worth a look, more so as he has a post on the subject portrayed. A link to Texidor has now been added to Havana5060. It may be cliche-ish, but your blogger believes this is - or will become - an iconic image of Guillermo Farinas (pronounce it "Far-inyas"), who is putting his life on the line so that would-be Pat Texidors in Cuba - and elsewhere - will have the right to access and use the Internet in freedom, free of Orwellian watchdogs and their enabler-puppets.

The inspiration for this post came from Babalu Blog, specifically, Val Prieto's post titled "50 DAYS," dated March 22, 2006. You can read it there - we have a link to Babalu right on the list of links. Immediately after, another post on Babalu publicized the "blogathon" being organized by another blogger, Fausta, to help open the eyes and ears of the world about Mr. Farinas. That post is titled "Farinas Blogburst." And, of course, Mr. Texidor has a wonderful, very eloquent post on the subject, in his blog, titled "He Is Dying." Please read it, as Mr. Texidor does Mr. Farinas' cause much justice and explains it far better than this blogger could ever hope to do.

The more I thought about this, the more I realized the importance of making my very very tiny contribution to this cause. First and foremost, it is my hope all efforts at bringing this sad affair into the limelight will result in an easing of the repression endured by Habaneros and Cubans elsewhere on the island. If nothing else, it may save Mr. Farinas' life, a worthy cause in and of itself. He should know he is not alone in this. Perhaps all the publicity will make obvious the glaring discordancy between what the bearded bastard and his followers preach, and what he and they actually DO. Not that this should be news to anybody but the most dense or brain-dead on the planet. Possibly it will shame some who hitherto have sung the praises of "barbus illegitimus" into stiffening their backbone and denouncing him as the sociopathic, tyrannical Cuban-hater that he really is.

This man, Farinas, is fighting and dying for the very right to do what many of us are doing now - blogging, publishing, exchanging and sharing information, graphics, sound, tidbits, whatever you want to call it, through that fantastic, unifying medium known as the Internet, the Web, la Red - no, not the color. Information is power, and information can lead to liberation. That is what el barbudo and his twittering hyenas are afraid of - liberation/liberacion/freedom/freiheit/libertad. Can you look those up on the Web, in Cuba, without fear? "No tengan miedo," said Pope John Paul when he visited Havana. "Do not be afraid!." Mr. Farinas is not afraid. He is doing what I know I have no guts to do. And for that, the very least I owe him is my few and poor at that, words in this little blog.

"Do not be afraid!" And what are YOU afraid of, you cowardly stinking beard? What is it about a defenseless, dying man that makes you so afraid? I believe you are afraid, deep down in your sick psyche, that when your turn comes your pseudo-eloquent babblin' will not suffice to spare you from the powerful Judgment that will be your due. For you, there will be fear, weeping, and gnashing of teeth. Perhaps you should acquaint yourself with the story of Lazarus, and learn from it. But for you, it is too late...

God bless you, Guillermo Farinas. You are in our prayers. You are not forgotten. You are not afraid!