The Gonzalez Case

One Boy. Many Questions.

By Rick Horowitz

This one's got the smell of ugly about it.

There are just too many strong emotions crammed into a small space, into a small boy, for it to play out as anything but tragedy. It may have played out already, by the time you read these words; they're being written with government deadlines looming and nerves rubbed raw.

Or it could go on for days more, or weeks -- after all, who thought it would ever last this long? And anyway, it won't end today, even if it "ends" today.

So in the meantime, why not chew on a few of these puzzlers...

1. Janet Reno's eleventh-hour Mission to Miami Beach was:
a. a selfless act of bravery and compassion;
b. a last desperate effort to get out from under Waco;
c. worth a shot.

2. Lazaro Gonzalez's statement after meeting with Reno that "They will have to take this child from me by force" proves that:
a. he really loves Elian;
b. he really hates Fidel Castro;
c. he's been watching too many made-for-TV movies.

3. President Clinton has stayed out of the last-minute negotiations because:
a. he didn't want to steal the spotlight from his attorney general;
b. he speaks less Spanish than the Taco Bell Chihuahua;
c. he knows a losing hand when he sees one.

4. The difference between Elian's Miami relatives and people who hold hostages is:
a. the Miami relatives took the boy in to help him, with no thought of personal gain or political agenda;
b. the Miami relatives adore the boy, and are only trying to do what's best for him;
c. less than you think.

5. Al Gore's shifting position on the Gonzalez case shows that:
a. he cares about Elian;
b. he cares about electoral votes;
c. he cares about electoral votes.

6. George W. Bush's consistent position on the Gonzalez case shows that:
a. he cares about Elian;
b. he cares about electoral votes;
c. even Al Gore gets out-pandered once in a while.

7. Elian's videotaped statement that he doesn't want to go back to Cuba proves that:
a. Elian now appreciates the blessings of liberty and Disney World;
b. the "Stockholm Syndrome" is alive and well;
c. even a 6-year-old can say what he's told to say.

8. Elian's cousin Marisleysis has shown that she's a suitable "second mother" for him by:
a. showering him with love and affection after he lost his real mother;
b. keeping his own best interests foremost in her heart;
c. fainting every few days from the stress.

9. The media's fixation on the Gonzalez case is:
a. perfectly appropriate for a touching human drama with deep political implications;
b. a total invasion of a family's privacy in a craven competition for viewers;
c. exactly what you'd expect.

10. The chance that, at some point in this story, someone will decide that little Elian is "better off in heaven than in Cuba" is:
a. too crass to contemplate;
b. too cruel to mention;
c. too close for comfort.

Posted 4/13/00. Fresh stuff right here twice weekly!

Rick Horowitz is a syndicated columnist, TV commentator and public speaker

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