Letter to Senator Mel Martinez

To Sen. Mel Martinez,

Hello Senator, my name is Taylor W. Hickem, and I am a constituent from Delray Beach, FL. I am writing to recommend that you support HR 874 "Freedom to Travel to Cuba" to show your support for change in a legacy of infringement of basic human right to travel and pursuit of happiness on US and Cuban citizens for almost 50 years. I am also speaking on behalf of my Cuban American friends, who are ready for change, and are tired of a US infringement on their freedom of travel.

I am an engineer and a global citizen, and have traveled to over 20 different countries, including Cuba. Having spent my childhood in Florida, I am aware of the stereotypical characteristics of a tourist; with their suntan lotion, wallets, unfamiliarity with local customs, and of course, their cameras. While these are the stereotypes that I'm sure you were referring to in your comment, "Having tourists on Cuban beaches is not going to achieve democratic change in Cuba," there is more to tourism than just beaches.

A "Tourist" Visa, is simply, the "No particluar reason" Visa. When you apply for a visa, and you have not given any prior thought, or reason for your visit, you check the "Tourist" box. This can be because you are there for pleasure only and not business or diplomacy, or that you do not intend to give away any more information as to the nature of your visit. It's also a polite gesture of the host country that they are happy to welcome you, without preconditions.

By experience I have found that travel is one of the principal mechanisms by which people and cultures exchange information and ideas and build trust.

If you do not believe me, just ask any project manager about the difference between face-to-face meetings and teleconferences. Every year companies spend billions of dollars flying their employees around the world because they recognize the significance of face-to-face collaboration. Without face to face interaction, groups of people become mistrusting, and lose the ability to communicate and empathize on a personal level.

For Cuba, tourism is undoubtedly making a positive impact on their economy, and the lives of everyday Cuba citizens. Take Rene, for example, the host of my casa particular (hostel, in tourist-speak). Rene is handicapped, and so his opportunities in the workforce are limited, but he does run a hostel for tourists out of his home, where he has an opportunity to earn a living and enjoy the fruits of his labor. In addition to revenue from hostels like his, money from other parts of the tourism industry such as restaurants gets reinvested into the community through public-private partnerships like the Habanaguanex S.A. project. The Habanaguanex project has done a remarkable job of both bringing economic growth to the impoverished area of Habana Vieja, and also to promote by examples, the benefit of free-market capitalism.

You mentioned that you are concerned about the Cuban government's record on human rights violations. Are there human rights violations comitted by the Cuban government on their people?Absolutely.

Cuban residents do not enjoy nearly the same economic freedoms enjoyed by residents of Hong Kong, or Singapore, which are much better examples of societies which have embraced free-market capitalism. A Cuban worker may see up to 50% of his pay sent to the government to promote social programs such as universal healthcare and education. They also are not as free to speak out about their government, a priveledge that I'm sure many free citizens aroud the world take for granted.

This lack of adherence to human rights by the Cuban government is not a justifiable reason to impose on US citizens right to travel, or to refuse to maintain any form of diplomatic and trade relations with Cuba.

If you were to truly believe that the current US position on Cuba is the appropriate way to deal with human rights violations, then I challenge you to propose a bill to end all diplomatic, travel, and trade relations with China, Liberia, Sudan, Zimbabwe, Myanmar, Saudi Arabia, and all other countries with poor human rights record. It is also hyocritical of the U.S. to tout adherence to free-market capitalism, when the US government will be spending almost 2/3 of it's taxpayers money on socialist entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare in 2010, with much of those programs being subsidized by debt from China, a communist country with a poor record of human rights and free speech.

The actions of Fidel Castro and other in the 1959 Cuban Revolution were certainly wrong by any absolute standard. They robbed good standing Cuban citizens of their wealth, and imprisoned those who opposed their regime. I am from South Florida, and have many friends who are Cuban Americans, and have heard the stories that I'm sure you have heard from your Cuban American constituents who were victims of the revolution.

While these victims do harbor ill feelings towards the Castro regime, they also have compassion, and a true desire to heal those wounds, and reconnect with family they left decades ago. My Cuban American friends support lifting the travel ban, and will see you as a leader in their community if you look not for ways to engage in hostile threats and embargos, but by giving US citizens the opportunity to freely speak to the residents in Cuba about how the US and Cuba can benefit from a new relationship. America also have a tremendous opportunity to lead by example by showing the Cuban administration how free-market capitalism can help them, through projects like the Habanaguanex restoration.

I have spoken with the Cuban citizens in Cuba, and Cuban US citizens, and they are both ready for a renewed cooperative relationship, but before any real democratic change can happen in Cuba, the US travel restrictions must be lifted, and "the fist has to unclench".

A report on the Habanaguanex restoration project: Winners and Losers in restoring old Havana, Joseph L. Scarpaci, Jr.
http://lanic.utexas.edu/la/cb/cuba/asce/cuba10/scarpaci.pdf

Tourist provide eyewitness account of the Chinese crackdown in Tibet
http://www.wibw.com/nationalnews/headlines/16681301.html

Freedom of Travel, a fundamental human right.

Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.

Article 13 Universial Declaration of Human Rights
http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html

Pursuit of happiness, an unalienable right to all men

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,
that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights,
that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness

Declaration of Independence
http://www.ushistory.org/Declaration/document/index.htm

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Taylor Weston Hickem
taylor.hickem@gmail.com
404 625 9192