Castro has passed - meanderings

The whole thing with Fidel Castro was thrown into perspective this morning by the news outlets.  He overthrew a corrupt government in 1959 - which was one year after I was born.  I've not known any Cuba other than the one sanctioned by our government.  Yet Cuba survived.  The people, the government - they all survived.

I vaguely remember the Bay of Pigs (JFK).  I was only in the single digits when this happened. (Sidenote: it was at the same time that cattle mutilations were occurring across the country and the country was in a panic about alien invasions.) Cuba became evil, and our media and government helped make it that way.  

When we pledge allegiance to our flag it is patriotism, but when they pledge allegiance it is propaganda.  But the people aren't evil, just like Muslims aren't evil, or Jews, or Americans, or Russians.  There are pockets of evil throughout any society, but this doesn't mean that we can blanket an entire culture or country with that same label.

The passing of a world leader is sad indeed.  In Cuba there are people who supported and admired their leader - and those that didn't.  A lot like America over the past 10 years - and I cite 10 years because I'm now through enough cycles that I understand the nuances of elections, the candidates, even the potential corruption involved in an election.

Does any of this make sense?

I've seen snippets of a Cuba that was and still is rich in culture.  The music, the people, the customs - I want to see it myself, experience it first hand.  I want to sit and listen to their stories and experience the passion of the Cuban people.

In this life.