We Can All Rest Easy Tonight!

I heard on the news today that Danny Glover and Harry Belefonte have met with Hugo Chavez, the President/Dictator of Venezuela. It is a comfort to know that these two personalities have taken it upon themselves to travel to Venezuela and to let President Chavez know that they agree with him that President Bush is the world's biggest terrorist.

Now, I am all for free speech. These two personalities have the right to travel anywhere they wish and visit with anyone they wish. They also have the right to say anything they wish to say. They do not have to like our President, they do not have to support him. I am sure that President Bush will not lose any sleep tonight worrying about Mr. Belefonte's and Mr. Glover's opinions about him.

However, it does bother me that they are embracing this dictator whose ambition is to be just like Castro. I know first hand the suffering of many of the people in Venezuela. The oil industry brings in millions of dollars and yet vast numbers of people in Venezuela do not have jobs, and live in less than adequate housing. Chavez is lining his own pockets all the while saying he is helping his people. He has built low income housing and has given jobs to some (such as using a sling blade in the hot sun for 8 hours along side the highway). Mr. Belefonte and Mr. Glover have no idea what life is like for the average Venezuelan, especially those who do not support Chavez.

During a recent local election, some people were threatened with losing their jobs if they did not vote for the right people (those who are in Chavez' pocket). Our friends in Venezuela do not live in fear, they just live smart. They do not speak against Chavez in public and they just go about their lives.

These two personalities enjoy the freedoms of this country and yet they support someone who wants to turn Venezuela into a socialist country like Castro did in Cuba. It is no skin off their noses. They will not have to live in Venezuela under a dictatorship. When they visit, they stay in the finest hotels and are given the red carpet treatment. I don't think they care about the people of Venezuela at all. I think they just care about their own agendas and the publicity.

But we can all rest easy tonight. Mr. Glover and Mr. Belefonte are on the job. I feel better.....don't you?