The world is awash in Che paraphernalia, and this is an ongoing offense to truth, reason, and justice (a fine trio). Cuban Americans tend to be flummoxed by this phenomenon, and so do others who are decent and aware. There is a backlash against Che glorification, but it is tiny compared with the phenomenon itself. You find his items in the most surprising places. Or maybe they are not so surprising. The New York Public Library has a gift shop, and until just the other day, it sold a Guevara watch. The article featured Che's face and the word "REVOLUTION." The ad copy went like this: "Revolution is a permanent state with this clever watch, featuring the classic romantic image of Che Guevara, around which the word 'revolution'-revolves." Clever, indeed.

That one of the world's most prestigious libraries should have peddled an item puffing a brutal henchman was not big news, but some Cuban Americans, and a few others, reacted. On learning of the watch, many sent letters to the library, imploring its officials to come to their senses. One Cuban American — trying to play on longstanding American sensibilities -wrote, "Would you sell watches with the images of the Grand Dragon of the KKK?" It was also pointed out that Communist Cuba, which Guevara did a great deal to found and shape, is especially hard on librarians. The independent-library movement has been brutally repressed, and some of the most inspiring political prisoners stem from that movement.
Yet there is virtually no solidarity between Free World librarians and Cuba's librarians, or would-be librarians. A year ago, the civil libertarian Nat Hentoff "renounced" — his word — the award given him by the American Library Association, because the ALA cold-shoulders the Cubans, preferring to stick with the loved "socialist" tyrant, Castro.
In any event, the New York Public Library withdrew the watch just before Christmas, offering no statement.
The fog of time and the strength of anti-anti-Communism have obscured the real Che. Who was he? He was an Argentinian revolutionary who served as Castro's primary thug. He was especially infamous for presiding over summary executions at La Cabana, the fortress that was his abattoir. He liked to administer the coup de grace, the bullet to the back of the neck. And he loved to parade people past El Paredon, the reddened wall against which so many innocents were killed. Furthermore, he established the labor-camp system in which countless citizens — dissidents, democrats, artists, homosexuals — would suffer and die.
It seems obvious that some people know what they're celebrating and some do not.
Other people are totally ignorant. Still others are perhaps semi-ignorant, wanting merely to express outrage or defiance, or to advertise their nonconformity.
One of the most nauseating recent celebrations of Guevara took the form of a movie, The Motorcycle Diaries, whose executive producer was Robert Redford (one of the most dedicated Castro apologists in Hollywood, which is saying something). The movie received a standing ovation at the Sundance Festival. About this obnoxious hagiography and whitewash, I will confine myself to quoting Tony Daniels: "It is as if someone were to make a film about Adolf Hitler by portraying him as a vegetarian who loved animals and was against unemployment. This would be true, but rather beside the point."
But facts are not unimportant to Cuban Americans. Imagine being one of them and seeing celebratory images of Guevara all around you. Imagine — even further — being the son or daughter of someone whom Guevara personally executed. There are such people in the United States. Or imagine-further yet — being a Cuban political prisoner, and knowing that masses in free countries were wearing Che on their chests.
If you talk to Cuban Americans about how they feel, they will first mention Hitler and the Nazis: No one would sell or sport items celebrating those beasts; what's the difference.
 

Hitler was NOT a vegetarian -- this is a myth. He occasionally did not eat meat due to digestive problems, but he was by no means a vegetarian.

Continuamos...................
 

As I said the first time, I will confine myself to quoting Tony Daniels: "It is as if someone were to make a film about Adolf Hitler by portraying him as a vegetarian who loved animals and was against unemployment. This would be true, but rather beside the point."
 

In addition to being a teetotaler and a non-smoker,[1] scholars agree that Adolf Hitler practiced some form of vegetarianism.[2] The vegetarianism of Adolf Hitler is thought to have been based on Richard Wagner's which connected the future of Germany with vegetarianism.[3][2] Hitler believed that a vegetarian diet could both alleviate his personal health problems and spiritually renew the Aryan race.[2] In spite of these beliefs, reports state that Hitler occasionally ate meat during the 1930s. While Hitler reduced his meat consumption, he may have not eliminated it entirely, with culinary accounts indicating a sporadic preference for sausage, squab, liver dumplings, ham, and caviar. As a result, many vegetarians dispute the claim that Hitler was a vegetarian.[2]Some of Adolf Hitler's biographers assert that he was a vegetarian from 1931 until his death in 1945. They believe that Hitler's diet was influenced by essays of composer Richard Wagner which promoted vegetarianism.[4] Hitler idolized Wagner as a young adult, saying: "I don't touch meat largely because of what Wagner says on the subject."[5]
When Hitler was 22 years old and living in Vienna, he first experimented with a vegetarian diet in an attempt to cure a chronic stomach ailment. In a 1911 letter Hitler wrote: "I am pleased to be able to inform you that I already feel altogether well....It was nothing but a small stomach upset and I am trying to cure myself through a diet of fruits and vegetables."[6] Biographers Robert Proctor and John Toland propose that Hitler may have interpreted his stomach cramps as an early sign of cancer, a disease that killed his mother Klara Hitler when he was 18. Proctor describes Hitler as "a vegetarian, of sorts" who ate meat on occasion: "Hitler was indeed, for the most part, a vegetarian — though he did occasionally allow himself a dish of meat."[5]
 

If we can have Speedy Gonzales, Frito Bandito, Ricky Ricardo, and Maria de Guadalupe on a shirt, watch, or sweater then we should have Che on one. point is they're just symbols. being tolerant of others expressions isn't so hard. "Jesus is my Homeboy" shirts could be considered offensive to lots of people; but maybe since its not me I don't give it much though. Being sensitive to every single person's issue about symbolism is only relevant to how large the group of people being offended is. If we flashed around swastikas in a Jewish neighborhood, oh yeah sure thats hurtful...but people do it. WE make fun of our own symbols of power like caricatures of Bush. No mothers of dead solders in Iraq are crying or complaining of the demoralization of her son/daughter's fellow troops in Iraq...

I don't have any fancy sources to quote, I'm supposed to be working on a Poli Sci group presentation on Border issues...due tomor--TODAY, in 8 hours. If you wanna go at it im up for it... send me an email Gonzalez
 

Hey Lizzo I guess I have the right to put nudity on my shirt and TV oh that’s right you cant because it is obscene People have the right to wear KKK t shirts but they don’t because they would find themselves in a world of hurt. Hitler had the right to run his country the way he thought it should be run what gives anyone the right to tell him killing is wrong, I guess he had the write to commit genocide on a group of people I mean it only affected a small group of people ”The Jews”. Cubans are an even smaller group of people right? Who cares if they are offended by putting the man that murderd so many of their loved ones on a shirt? You know lots of people like to pull the I have the right to do this or I have the right to do that card, But if Che had his way you wouldn’t have any of those rights. I guess maybe USA has the right to put up a wall blocking illegal aliens into this country full of so many rights, I guess since it only effects a small group of people (MEXICO!!!) then its OK. Hey the Chinese did it to keep out the Mongols ah hell there’s the Berlin wall that was torn down I wonder why they tore it down since so many walls have been built don’t they have a right to put up a wall just as the US. This is why education is a must to many young people quick to debate issues they know nothing about, read a book learn every aspect about what your actually saying befor you say it this will save you from embarrassment. No group of people is too small or insignificant to intentionally hurt or not care about. CUBAN,MEXICAN,JEWISH all human beings until we learn that there will always be Che T shirts and walls to bring down, STOP mental oppression.
You can write back and let it off your chest I know this will stir something up in you, I hope you got what you were looking for at least thanks to democracies you have the right to disagree with me and debate the issue.
 

think our freedom of speech/media shouldn't be limited... as far as all the references you made to building a wall or genocide, those have nothing to do with America's freedom of speech/media. at least, i never suggested it did, the correlation you came up with and points you counter me on are way off. I consider myself pretty educated in the western sense and at least im out there trying to get info and reading on the net and seeing beyond TV/CNN/NBC/FOX and all that. Che killed lots of people, Columbus killed lots of people Washington killed lots of people. All are revered. Native Americans are not insignificant, yet we have those people on our currency and celebrate them with holidays. The Berlin Wall and the Border are as far off topic as chocolate ice cream.

I don't see your connections as valid or holding any strong ties to manufacturing silkscreen images of che on a cotton shirt for kids to wear in america.
 

think our freedom of speech/media shouldn't be limited... as far as all the references you made to building a wall or genocide, those have nothing to do with America's freedom of speech/media. at least, i never suggested it did, the correlation you came up with and points you counter me on are way off. I consider myself pretty educated in the western sense and at least im out there trying to get info and reading on the net and seeing beyond TV/CNN/NBC/FOX and all that. Che killed lots of people, Columbus killed lots of people Washington killed lots of people. All are revered. Native Americans are not insignificant, yet we have those people on our currency and celebrate them with holidays. The Berlin Wall and the Border are as far off topic as chocolate ice cream.

I don't see your connections as valid or holding any strong ties to manufacturing silkscreen images of che on a cotton shirt for kids to wear in america.
 

You compare Speedy Gonzales, Frito Bandito, Ricky Ricardo, and Maria de Guadalupe to Che on a shirt and you say Im as far off as chocolate.
How dose "Jesus is my Homeboy" compare to Che or Charles Manson that’s like saying Bugs Bunny to Dracula or apples to oranges? Well I guess their both fruit.
Just because you have the right to offend some one it doesn’t make it right.
You said why be sensitive to a small group of people.

You said quote;

"Jesus is my Homeboy" shirts could be considered offensive to lots of people; but maybe since its not me I don't give it much though. Being sensitive to every single person's issue about symbolism is only relevant to how large the group of people being offended is.

That’s why I said;

Hitler had the right to run his country the way he thought it should be run what gives anyone the right to tell him killing is wrong, I guess he had the write to commit genocide on a group of people I mean it only affected a small group of people ”The Jews”. Cubans are an even smaller group of people right? Who cares if they are offended by putting the man that murderd so many of their loved ones on a shirt?
You spoke of the right to put Che on a t shirt,

That’s why I said;

You know lots of people like to pull the I have the right to do this or I have the right to do that card, But if Che had his way you wouldn’t have any of those rights. I guess maybe USA has the right to put up a wall blocking illegal aliens into this country full of so many rights, I guess since it only effects a small group of people (MEXICO!!!) then its OK. Hey the Chinese did it to keep out the Mongols ah hell there’s the Berlin wall that was torn down I wonder why they tore it down since so many walls have been built don’t they have a right to put up a wall just as the US.

This is why I say once again education is a must to many young people quick to debate issues they know nothing about, read a book learn every aspect about what your actually saying befor you say it this will save you from embarrassment. No group of people is too small or insignificant to intentionally hurt or not care about. CUBAN,MEXICAN,JEWISH & American Indians are all human beings until we learn that there will always be Che T shirts and walls to bring down, STOP mental oppression.
When you say Che killed lots of people, Columbus killed lots of people Washington killed lots of people. All are revered. Native Americans are not insignificant than you finally see my point exactly thank you.

I hope this was able to explain all the hard to understand connections to what you first wrote because it has everything to do with manufacturing silkscreen images of che on a cotton shirt for kids to wear in america. Whether its on cotton or stone it holds the same weight, The declaration of independence was written on paper but its message weighs heavier than iron.

When you write back next time really think about what your going to say and just what it is your saying.
 

<CENTER>PONGAN ATENCION!
 

Viva el Che Gayvara! (Foto iconografica con boina rosa y guiniando un ojo).