7.23.2007 | "wet-foot, dry-foot"

This is the name of a self-conflicted policy from the Clinton administration. The policy is well-known to anyone who lives in or near South Florida, or who has Cuban relatives or friends.

In simplest terms, our policy allows Cubans fleeing communist tyranny to stay in the United States only if they make it to dry land. If a Cuban is caught offshore, it's back to Fidel's gulag. No ifs, ands, or buts.

The policy's basic flaw? Allowing a technicality of location to trump freedom. We're not speaking of millions of illegal Mexican and Central American immigrants slipping across our land borders, although, of course, they do. But hey, they're all "dry-foot" aren't they?

Cubans are fleeing the Western Hemisphere's worst tyranny for freedom. Mexicans, Salvadorans, Guatemalans, and others are not fleeing tyranny -- they're merely trying to make a living. Can't blame them, but the United States of America first and foremost must stand for liberty.

The shame of the "wet-foot dry-foot" policy also results in tragedy beyond sending innocent Cubans back to Castro's hell. An example was provided on the front page of today's Wall Street Journal, in an article by Robert Block. Our Homeland Security aces, now including the Coast Guard, killed a young woman. Killed for the crime of seeking freedom.

Shame. Shame on us. This needs to be changed. Every Cuban, wet or dry, must be given a chance for asylum. Detain them; vet them to ensure that Castro isn't pulling another Mariel Boatlift, when Fidel gave us his criminals and mentally ill.

But numbers are important, and it's useful to note that even that floodtide of Cubans amounted to 125,000. A pittance when compared with the literally tens of millions of (primarily) Mexicans.

If liberty is to be more than a slogan, we must start by offering any Cuban who wishes asylum to be granted it. Now is not too soon. Tomorrow is too late.