Kevin's Khronicles

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All my life, I have had to fight for everything and anything I ever wanted. Nothing could be so easy as to be handed to me, and if it were, I’d be suspicious. From the time I was electrocuted and spent years fighting to free myself from the confines of the wheelchair, to fighting to make my dreams come true, to the more recent defense of having to fight with sponsors over the content of this website. Fighting has become a waste of time. I grow weary of it, and long to rest, but realize that won’t happen until I’m called Home.

During the Spring and Summer months of this year, there has been much fighting between our government and those of China and Cuba. We’ve been inundated with all this saber rattling via the media, and whenever conflicts arise between us and these two particular countries, not only does my web counter show an increase, but the email gets pretty interesting as well.

"You call yourself an America? Captain Commie is more like it!" "Why can’t you find somewhere else to cycle, why do you always have to do Communist countries?" And so on...

When you become a public figure, you’re an open target, and therefore must take the good with the bad and the ugly. Funny thing is, most of the angry comments via email never mention my dealings with China, but rather Cuba. And naturally, the Cuban comments come from where else... Cuban-Americans.

Now, I don’t have a problem with people letting off steam. If it helps, great! Most foreigners who immigrate to the United States don’t think like natural-born Americans, because they’ve been taught to depend on their government for all their needs. When they become citizens, they get to vote people into office, and if something goes wrong or something happens that they don’t like, they expect to call those elected officials that they voted for to fix the problem.

But it’s not as easy as that. Natural Americans were taught (at least in my day) that we were born in the greatest country on the face of the earth. One nation under God. We were taught to think independently. To not be dependent on the government for our needs, but use our own resources. That was the way of our forefathers, and so it is our way; our legacy, today.

The times, it seems, are a changing.

According to the 2000 Census, there are roughly 281 million Americans. Out of that number, there are about 1 million Cuban-Americans who have been speaking very loud and very clear to the Bush Administration that they want those who travel to Cuba arrested and/or fined severely. Well, they did give George the Presidency, and now the Piper must be paid.

That translates into the Treasury Department beginning to crack down on Americans going to Cuba. I always understood that in a democracy, mob rules. In a Republican form of government (as we are), we are governed by rules as held to our Constitution. So, how does 1 million "no's" outweigh 280 million "who cares" when it comes to the embargo against Cuba? Also, I didn’t know we were at war with Cuba. When did this happen? Does Fidel know about this?

When I went to Cuba in 1997, I had two goals in mind...to do the longest bicycle tour in that country’s history, and to meet Castro at the end. The first goal succeed, the second goal didn’t. I didn’t think there would be much of a chance to meet the great Dictator, so I had to settle for the consolation prize... to go to his office and present the gifts I had for him as a thank you for allowing me to visit his country and turn another dream into reality.

The first gift was American baseball memorabilia, because of his love for the game. The second present was more personal...a large type, Spanish-English, King James Bible with various passages highlighted throughout the Old and New Testaments from members of my church. More than my love and interest in Cuba, is my desire for Castro’s soul to change before it’s too late.

Fidel has been in power over 40 years. He’s used to the people’s hatred. It doesn’t bother him a bit. He just laughs it off. But what of love? What if someone were to stand before him and have a simple, profound conversation with him regarding the eternity of his soul? Someone who didn’t fear what happened to him either by the Cuba or American government? Shouldn’t Castro be given a chance? Does he deserve less than us? A sinner is a sinner no matter what the rank. Jesus Christ died for all of us. The cross at Calvary leveled the playing field.

Soon, my book on the Tour de Cuba will see the light of publication. And very soon, within the next year, I plan on returning to the jewel of the Caribbean, where the people are as warm and friendly as their weather. I also plan on seeking another audience with Castro. Perhaps next time it’ll happen. If not, there’s always a next time and a next, until time itself has been used up and he ceases to be or I’m thrown in jail by a president who professes to be a fellow brother in the Lord, because I’m trying to reach out to a lost soul. I simply have no choice.

Castro is used to the people’s curses, but he has absolutely no defense against the power of prayer. That’s what he and other world leaders need to be hit with, and so long as I am able to, I will continue in the course that has been set before me.

If we were to view ourselves honestly, as God would see us, how would we rate?

Until next month...

Kevin