An Unfortunate Article

An Unfortunate Article / Fernando Dámaso

Fernando Damaso, 26 March 2017 — In a mis-timed article, a journalist
from the newspaper Juventud Rebelde (Rebel Youth), a self-proclaimed
Cuban youth, visits Hiroshima and unleashes her personal feeling about
the events of 6 August 1945. She says she "is pained," that "August in
Hiroshima is forever" and shocked that a survivor, after the passage of
71 years, bears no grudge, and that "in Japan forgiveness is
long-overdue subject."

Then, instead of understanding that forgiveness is a sign of wisdom, she
speaks about "the fiery blood of Cubans," and says "it is hard to
understand it."

She's right: We Cubans lack the wisdom necessary to forgive, and what's
more, to ask for forgiveness. To forgive and to ask for forgiveness are
pending subjects here, despite the fact that our mambises — the original
freedom fighters of a previous century — at the end of a real war, knew
how to forgive.

These last 58 years are filled with bad examples. In Cuba hatred has
overcome love, even though Jose Marti made it very clear that love
builds and hatred destroys. The problem is that the example of Marti is
used according to political convenience: one part of his thinking is
manipulated and published and the other is hidden.

The journalist, to ride the wave, goes even further and addresses the
visit and words of President Obama, when he was here. She says, "But
that a victim of the Holocaust leans on his words to talk about the most
painful moment? That's more than I can stand."

Despite everything, I understand it: if she were not spiteful, filled
with hatred and a practitioner of intolerance, it would be very
difficult for her to write for Juventud Rebelde.

It is striking that "at this stage of the game," when it is already lost
and it will end very soon, instead of drawing useful conclusions from
her visit, she shows herself to be so dogmatic. These are times to
forgive and not to accumulate rancor and historical hatreds that, as can
be seen, contribute absolutely nothing: Cuba is an example.

You have to know how to "turn the page" and not get stuck in the past.
Japan demonstrates this with its spectacular development without losing
its national dignity. It would be wise to learn from them.

Translated by Laura

Source: An Unfortunate Article / Fernando Dámaso – Translating Cuba -
http://translatingcuba.com/an-unfortunate-article-fernando-dmaso/