But it generated no sympathy for the exile cause. That's because there is nothing heroic about civil disobedience aimed at uninvolved parties. Rosa Parks defied segregationist authorities when she refused to surrender her seat on a bus to a white man. Black civil rights demonstrators refused to leave the very lunch counters where they were denied service. Vietnam War protesters handcuffed themselves to the gates of the White House.
Environmentalists take up positions in front of bulldozers.
They aren't responsible for Fidel Castro's government, Juan Miguel Gonzalez's demand that his son be returned to him in Cuba nor the decision by the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service to comply. Raising a person's ire isn't the same as raising that individual's consciousness. Since emerging as a significant presence here, Cubans have not particularly needed allies. They've prospered, placing their cultural and political stamp on Miami-Dade County largely by using their own resources and determination. In addition, many have set the bar of friendship too high for most non-Cubans to reach.