Gun Control & Socialism: A Message from Cuba

posted on October 29, 2020
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
gun-control-and-socialism-cuba-message-f.jpg
I was born in Cuba in 1958, and I remember the struggles my family went through in order to emigrate (legally) to the United States. Being an independent thinker and a freedom lover was a threat to the intolerable Castro regime. As soon as my father requested an American resident visa, the Cuban government turned on us. My dad was fired from his job as a building superintendent and mandated to forced labor in the sugar-cane fields of Cuba.

It took Castro eight years to finally approve our departure from Cuba, but during those long eight years, I grew up in a horrific atmosphere. Bullying in school, even by teachers, just because my parents were “traitors” for wanting to leave the country. By the time I was 10, I had the maturity of a grown man for witnessing the abuses against us by our own people just because we had a different ideology.

Castro rose to power due to a thirst for equality from among the people. He gave us equality all right—equal misery for all. Castro nationalized the banks and all businesses; many entrepreneurs fled the island taking with them jobs and ingenuity. That’s what socialism does, it scares away the capitalists and leaves the country empty and powerless.

The first order of business in Castro’s revolution was to disarm the citizens. People ask me, "Why haven’t the Cubans overthrown the Castros?" How can you beat an army of Russian-backed murderers with sticks and stones? The Cuban constitution, similar to that of the United States, was deemed outdated and was replaced by Castro.

This didn’t happen overnight—it started with leftist propaganda, especially in the universities. Cuban youth were indoctrinated into hating capitalist America and brainwashed into thinking that equal pay for everyone, free healthcare and education would make Cuba a utopia. I cringe every time someone tells me that Cuba has a great healthcare system that is free for all. These ignorant people don’t know how scarce even aspirin is in Cuba.

The things I witnessed in Cuba I see happening here in the United States today—leftist messaging on TV, constant brainwashing 24/7. The schools are teaching our kids to hate their own country, and the Democrats use racial division to instigate their agenda. Many Americans don’t see this, and I understand why. You have to live it to understand it.

This election is the most important election of my lifetime. I don’t want to relive the atrocities of socialism, the intolerance of fanatics and the chaos rule of lawlessness again. We must vote for the man who loves and protects the U.S. Constitution and our Bill of Rights—the First and Second Amendments especially. God bless America.

Latest

Kimber 2K11
Kimber 2K11

Review: Kimber 2K11

The 2011-style pistol was designed to address the capacity limitations of the single-stack M1911 platform, and Kimber's approach to the concept is its 2K11, a competition-ready offering with several notable features.

Favorite Firearms: A High-Flying Hi-Standard “A-D”

Manufactured in New Haven, Conn., in late 1940, this Hi-Standard pistol was shipped as a Model “A,” but a heavier Model “D” barrel was installed later to replace the original, light barrel, leading one American Rifleman reader to call it a Model “A-D.”

Ruger Helps Families In Need Through The Kids & Clays Foundation

In the effort to help tens of thousands of critically ill children and their families across the nation through local Ronald McDonald Houses, Ruger is among some of the industry’s foremost Platinum-level sponsors of The Kids & Clays Foundation.

Unlocking The Future: Smith & Wesson's "No Lock" Revolvers

The future is shaping up to be a good one for fans of Smith & Wesson revolvers. The iconic American company had released 14 new models thus far in 2025 at the time this was written mid-year. And, with one exception, they have all shared a common feature—no internal lock.

The Armed Citizen® Oct. 6, 2025

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

FEMA Notes Decline In Disaster Preparedness

A recent report from the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) noted a decline in local government preparedness for natural disasters, putting increased pressure on individuals to prepare themselves for emergencies.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.