cubaninsider: True Heroines Saluted

7.5.15

True Heroines Saluted

Above & Beyond Self-ordained Heroes

I believe this lady, Vivian Mannerud, is a true American heroine.

Vivian owned an airline brokerage business in the Miami area.

This is Vivian the morning after she was bombed out of business. A brave lady, Vivian had been warned about how dangerous it is to own a business that might...just might...benefit the island of Cuba. That wasn't her plan necessarily. She was more interested in making an honest living...and helping Miami's Cuban-American community that, unlike other Americans, could legally fly back-and-forth to Cuba. Still, she was bombed out of business, not unlike many car-bombs and business-bombs in the Miami area had discouraged anything that could, even remotely, be associated with benefiting Cuba. Later, Vivian herself told me that she was not surprised that the crime that put her out of business was not "seriously" investigated.

This week Vivian Mannerud took particular notice that President Obama's administration, in bravely attempting to normalize relations with Cuba, licensed four ferry companies in Miami, Orlando, and Fort Lauderdale to travel back-and-forth from Miami to Havana, if Cuba approves, for the first time since 1960. AND GUESS WHO RECEIVED THE VERY FIRST LICENSE FROM THE U. S. GOVERMENT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SUCH TRAVEL RELATED TO CUBA? If you guessed Vivian Mannerud, you would be correct! On her Facebook page Wednesday Vivian wrote: "Got my ferry/vessel/ship license. 1st one issued. Yippie."

This is the confirmation letter Vivian received from the U. S. Government this week confirming she and her "Airlines Brokers Company, Inc." as the very first licensed recipient with permission to conduct travel between Miami and Havana. Was the brave and decent President of the United States remembering how Vivian's Airlines Brokers Company had been bombed out of business? I think he was. What do you think?

And Speaking of heroines.............

Ruby Bridges {Wikipedia} is a true American heroine although she is not nearly as well known as many self-ordained American heroes who too often are fueled primarily by nepotism and greed. Ruby was born 60 years ago in Tylertown, Mississippi. She attended William Frantz Elementary School in Tylertown and later graduated from Tulane University in New Orleans. The elementary school in Alameda, California, is named for her. A beautiful song -- "Ruby's Shoes" -- was written by Lori McKenna to honor Ruby. An inspiring 1998 movie was entitled "Ruby Bridges." In 2001 President Bill Clinton honored Ruby with the Presidential Citizens Medal." Today Ruby and her husband live a quiet, successful life in New Orleans with their four sons.

In 1960 when she was 6-years-old Ruby Bridges bravely and stoically became the first black child in the segregated South to attend an all-white elementary school.

With "a simple act of courage" in 1960 Ruby Bridges made the United States of America a better place. That was over 54 years ago, and she is still a true heroine.

Norma Rockwell's portrait of Ruby Bridges.

Toya Graham is a true American heroine. Her fame has nothing to do with nepotism or self-ordained patriotism. Toya is a citizen of Baltimore, Maryland. She is a church-going single mother of six -- five girls and one son. She worked two jobs and bought a home but lost both jobs and was struggling, as many single moms are. The day another young black man died at the hands of police resulted in demonstrations and criminal activity that set much of Baltimore on fire as the world watched. Out of that conflagration the world saw an everyday mom, Toya, emerge as a heroine. Toya noticed her teenage son Michael was not at home and she raced to the dangerous, smoky streets to find him. He wore a hood and a mask but she recognized him and his baggy sweatpants. She screamed, "Drop that brick!" Then, as the world has witnessed over-and-over on video, she slapped and assaulted her son to save him and perhaps save a policeman that could have been the victim of the brick.

The images of what Toya Graham did on behalf of her son and the city of Baltimore will remain seared in the consciences of people around the world -- at least for a few days. After that, true American heroines like Toya will be forgotten, especially by well-off politicians who realize that everyday heroines like Toya are not going to contribute a penny to their precious PACs {Political Action Committees}.

Yong Soo-Lee {Photo: AFP/JIJI} is a South Korean heroine of the first order. In the last week of April she flew from her home in South Korea to Washington. She is 87-years-old. When she was 14 she was captured and spent the next two years in Japanese custody. As a "comfort girl" she was repeatedly raped daily by Japanese soldiers, as were hundreds of thousands of similarly captured Korean and Chinese girls. Yong Soo-Lee's trip to Washington coincided with the arrival of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. She is appalled that Japan, a close U. S. ally, has not fully owned up to the World War II tragedy that so unfairly disrupted or ended the lives of so many Comfort Girls. Ms. Soo-Lee sat and listened as Mr. Abe apologized to President Barack Obama for the Americans killed during World War II. But he didn't apologize to Ms. Soo-Lee who, he knew, sat nearby in a wheelchair. She was later interviewed by Pamela Constable of the Washington Post and many other American journalists. She told Ms. Constable, "I'm not going to die until we resolve this issue." Many others have apologized to her. In Virginia's Fairfax County near Washington there are 42,000 very successful Korean-Americans. Last May, near the Fairfax County Government Center, a beautiful memorial to the Comfort Girls was opened to honor and to apologize to them. Pamela Constable called Yong Soo-Lee "a study in grim dignity." She is that and more. She is a heroine of the first order...like Ruby Bridges, Toya Graham, and so many other everyday women who navigate in a misogynistic world that would be a far better place if they, and not the other gender, were the world's prime navigators.

Which reminds me of: