Elian political pawn

I cannot agree with Anthony Worster’s letter (BDN, Jan. 11) regarding the recent decision by the Immigration and Naturalization Service to return Elian Gonzalez to his father in Cuba. The INS decision conforms to our laws and is proper in all respects.

Elian’s mother was flouting our nation’s laws when she decided to risk her son’s life. She was not starving and she was not persecuted. In Cuba she and her son had basic health care paid for by the government, a free college education and a very low crime rate. Although their lifestyle was hardly opulent by American standards, it was considerably better than most citizens of Latin America. Under our immigration laws, Elian’s mother could have entered this country as a legal immigrant, had her American relatives agreed to sponsor her had she been willing to wait in line for her turn. Most immigrants play by the rules.

Cuban American immigrants have dominated our foreign policy toward Cuba for three decades and it is time it stopped. They are using this little boy for political purposes. Even more shameful are the American politicians who are using this incident to ingratiate themselves with Latino voters. Their selfish behavior should be ignored and this boy should be returned to his father. Doris T. Watkins Orland