A Matter Of Days

A MATTER OF DAYS

Some people believe that animals have an intrinsic right to liberty and, therefore they conclude all zoos are inherently wrong.

In the early 1960's, parents sent over 14,000 Cuban children to the United States unaccompanied - dubbed by the press Operation Pedro Pan (Gannon 133). The children who fled the country left due to oppression and the communistic ideals of their leader Fidel Castro. This has been described as the largest child refugee movement in the recorded history of the Western Hemisphere.

Marco Antonio Barrera, a.k.a. "The Baby Face Assassin" is the two-time WBO World Junior Featherweight Champion.

It is October 1962, where the world almost came to an end. It was a struggle between two of the world's greatest powers, the Soviet Union and the United States. The battle for supremacy was on. Nuclear weapons controlled the world. The urgency to use the weapons was at an all time high. They battled each other in what was called the nuclear arms race. It was a period of the cold war that would never be forgotten.

Animals in zoos are used for show and are exploited for profit.

The Pedro Pan Operation had dramatic impacts on the children who were sent to the United States and on their parents and other family members who remained in Cuba. The Operation was like a mother doe that runs off her child when they become old enough or endangered by the older buck of the herd.

At age 27, Barrera is a professional veteran nearly 11 years of experience and tremendous punching power, and exceptional skills that wear down his opponents with relentless pressure.

A chess game. President John Fitzgerald Kennedy and Premier Nikita Khrushchev would play everyday at the same table with a glass of red wine. The flames burning from the fireplace would light the room. An intense battle took place with their eyes closely examining their opponent's move, mentally wearing each other down. Khrushchev would attack quickly while Kennedy would defend on Khrushchev's every move. It was the most important chess game in the history of mankind. The future of the world would be decided within a matter of days. Thirteen days.

Living in a zoo diminishes an animals' quality of life, and that captive breeding is of limited value, or that entertainment is not a sufficient justification for keeping animals in captivity.

While the majority of the Cuban children were Catholic, several hundred were Protestant, and Jewish. Very few were from wealthy backgrounds. Most were of the middle class or lower middle class and included children of different racial background, such as Black and Chinese.

Barrera is a tough, confident fighter with good stamina and a solid chin. Sometimes he neglects his own defense to land his devastating power shot.

I was intrigued by the events that took place in October of 1962. I still found it odd that the world almost came to an end and nobody really regards it as anything important that took place in history. Most history classes will talk about the both World Wars, but you never hear much about the Cuban Missile Crisis. Yes of course the World Wars were very important pieces in history, but what about the Cuban Missile Crisis? Why do people forget so much about this crisis or choose to ignore it? There must be some logical answer to this. Was it something that people wanted to forget because the human existence almost came to a sudden silent dark halt? For some people, those days were too harsh to remember.

The primary benefits zoos provide to society are education and conservation of species and habitats. Endangered animals are protected, and sick animals are usually cured.

Every effort was made during the entire Operation Pedro Pan to avoid publicity, and to avoid any effort to use it for political propaganda. The agency that created it was often criticized for this by some elements in the exile community in Miami who wished to use the image of the children. The agency maintained minimum contacts with Cuba other than with the parents whose children were under its care.

April 7, 2001. Barrera is fighting for the WBO's Super World Championship Title. He fights the "Prince" Naseem Hamed. He uncrowns the "Prince" and becomes "King" of the featherweight division and is now regarded as a hero in his homeland of Mexico.

Fifteen years into the cold war, Kennedy and Khrushchev meet in Vienna to discuss the east-west confrontation, in particular, the situation in Berlin. Nothing was resolved in that meeting. Both leaders left with more disregard for the other.

When placed in a new habitat such as a zoo, some animals will adapt to the different lifestyle and others will not. Those animals that do not adapt to zoos usually die within a short period.

I had to search vastly among the books in my fathers bookshelves. He was directly affected from the crisis, so surely there would be a resource that would answer my questions. My father had a book that contained thousand of stories of the Cuban Missile Crisis. The book was as old and as big as the Bible. I found the compelling account of one girl's journey. Her name was Cecilia Bohorques.

Russia and the United States continued to increase their military strength. The Soviets felt threatened because the U.S. still had more missiles. More importantly, some of those missiles were based in Turkey, just 150 miles from the U.S.S.R. These increasing tensions would inevitably lead to a showdown, somewhere, sometime.

Cecilia's father was divorced with four kids, Cecilia being the youngest. At age ten her father sent her to boarding school in Cuba because he wanted her to get an education and never wanted her to "be a slave to a man." Most women in Cuba that were educated had jobs and wouldn't have to rely on their husbands. He would soon have to make the most important decision of his life by freeing her and escaping the evil of communism that will soon devour her homeland.

My father has had a difficult life. His father was a taxi driver and his mother a housewife. They were both very strict with him. They lived a poor life. There was never any money. He would never see his father, who always be working very late.

Cuba. Ninety miles away. The Soviets had installed nuclear missiles in Cuba, just 90 miles off the coast of the United States. Nobody in their right minds would expect this dangerous tactic by the Soviets. If the Soviets get caught, then the result could lead to automatic war. Millions of lives gone in seconds.

March 14, 1962. Journey begins. Cecilia is sent to the United States. She