Send back Cuban art
On June 13, 2008, fine arts writer Laura Stewart wrote a beautiful, albeit painful article, “A bit of Cuba — in Daytona.” It partially summarized 60 years of a murky, revolting history in which international thief, murderer and dictator Fulgencio Batista sent a temporary Cuban arts exhibit on a cultural exchange to Daytona Beach, where it has remained frozen in time, making revenue for the Cuban Foundation Museum while depriving the Cuban children of their arts.
A shameful decision by city officials who acknowledged the theft in 1962 determined that these beautiful pieces, made by Cuba’s most prominent artists, will not be returned to Cuba until there is a “more friendly” government in place, which took place with the restoration of diplomatic relations during the presidency of Barack Obama in 2014.
On May 8, 2015, I sent a letter to the editor of the Daytona News-Journal entitled “Return dictator’s art to Cuba,” which fell on deaf ears. It was around the same time that thousands of invaluable pieces of art, jewels and literature stolen by the Nazis during World War II, and more recently from Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Poland, Macedonia, Turkey, etc., are being tracked by cultural institutions and by international law enforcement. Around the world, agencies are prosecuting art thieves and dealers, and a number of governments are paying restoration to their legal owners for their despicable behavior.
Rather than continuing to tarnish its image for a few silver coins, Daytona Beach should cleanse its past by returning these ill-gotten pieces of art to the Cuban people and consider developing a mutually beneficial student relationship with their peers in Cuba, where no student has ever been massacred in school since 1959 and where drugs are literally unknown.
Alberto N. Jones, Palm Coast
Jones is president and founder of the Caribbean American Children’s Foundation. A Cuban native, he came to the United States in 1980.
Rightful honors
My wife and I are patients of Dr. Hal Kushner and appreciate The News-Journal telling his story. He is a truly remarkable person and 100-percent American. Dr. Kushner exemplifies what every citizen should feel about our great country. He definitely deserves the recognition for the many medals, decorations, and citations awarded him.
Elliott B. Hoffman, Holly Hill
House of Gun?
Regarding the May 26 story, “Guns and God:” The speaker in the church gathering tells parishioners to get their heads up when they pray. The article seemed to me to say, “buy a gun for church.”
Yes, there are quite a lot of faithful people who worship their guns and God. The fear-mongering National Rifle Association church preaches it in their Doomsday creed. And, for sure, some video game will be out there soon called “Active Church Shooter.”
But I would ask: Those churches that allow concealed weapons, please post a sign, because I would not enter those “sanctuaries” to sit next to someone and their gun.
Guns are sacrilegious to me.
Suze Peace, DeLand