Dear Madame/Mr.President:

Have you ever reconciled about how relations with Cuba has been before communism swept in and ruined the government and people of Cuba. For awhile now I never really paid attention to the news about Cuba, but with the recent death of the Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez, that all changed. Looking at his journey from Cuba to the US, his story encouraged me to look deeper into the US Cuba relationship. Seeing conflict ranging from the missile crisis to Bay of Pigs even the red scare we have been in a grudge match with Cuba for a long time. In the census in 2000 there were 1,241,685 Cuban Americans, and in the 2010 census there were 1,785,547, we saw about 500 thousand more Cuban Americans in a 10- year span. I believe with 2020 coming up there will be more than 2 million Cuban Americans in the US. I highly recommend you look into this issue to not only make it better for the Cuban people but everyone.

How I see the embargo, it represents an invisible leash around Cuba. The amount of problems that these people deal with are already to great and dealing with the whole embargo acts makes it even harder on the people. Currently there are 6 different acts affecting Cuba which range from travel and recreation to trading. Really the people of Cuba got punched economically because of the Trading with the Enemy Act of 1917, and Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000 which basically hardens the trading with the enemy act. Yes tensions were high during Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, but now have a normalized relationship. When Kennedy imposed travel restrictions on February 8, 1963, and the Cuban Assets Control Regulations were issued on July 8, 1963, again under the Trading with the Enemy Act in response to Cubans hosting Soviet nuclear weapons. I know Americans in a point of time had a great fear of communism and did not want to deal with anything with it. But since times have changed, it's time to change how we see these people not for their past affiliations, but them as human beings and changing their rights.

Lifting the embargo can be proven hazardous to the lands of Cuba. Cuba is home to a wide range of animals and plants, including some species found nowhere else on the planet. Once the embargo is lifted, the habitats could be destroyed by builders anxious to develop these beautiful and important landscapes. Harming these untouched landscapes can destroy any ecosystem jeopardizing the animals and plants. Along with the land being in jeopardy the aquatic life can be at risk as well. The relatively large underwater coastal shelves are crucial for numerous marine species which include groupers and spiny lobsters. In general the environment can not be altered because of the amount of tourism Cuba gets from the environmentally rich spots.

I believe in satisfying both sides of the idea is to drop the embargo, but maybe create a new act defending the rich lands of Cuba. With the people of Cuba having to deal with Castro of course, but dealing with the poverty and lack of rights affects the wellbeing of the country. Along with the limitations of freedom from the embargo they struggle with trade, but they get supplies from the US and only the US. I urge you to look into this issue not only for the people, but to give them a taste of freedom just like what we have in this nation.

Sincerely, Jeffrey