European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 4, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                 2j floating this talk to him Clarence Page a apartheid has fallen. The Berlin Wall has been broken into chunks of souvenirs. Israel shakes hands with its terrorist Tor a a a m mentors. But Fidel Castro a raft people float in by the hundreds a the thou. Sands a As living and too often dying symbols of cold War tyranny in its last gasp. Here they come Bobbing up and Down in the Straits of Florida in rafts inner tubes homemade catamarans tied to old Oil Drums a anything that will float and can be lashed together a because Castro for the first time since the Maricl boat lift in. 1980, is letting them come. This is what tyrants do in their last gasp. They throw their own people out to sea As pawns in a cynical game of International diplomacy. When Castro came to Power in 19s9, Many said he would never last. Instead he has outlasted an invasion an embargo the cuban missile crisis numerous assassination attempts eight  administrations and just about every other Leader who was in Power at the time. Now it s Bill Clinton a turn to take him Omas Guantanamo s refugee Camps nil up with cubans and haitians the orphans of an earlier Clinton policy shift one wonders what will come next lets consider the options option 1 tighten economic screws on Castro. Upside could weaken Castro and generate a Ima. Gucal Long awaited uprising that would depose the bearded one at last. Downside How Long have we waited for that uprising tightening an embargo Only brings greater hardship to the least privileged cuban people and an increase in raft people. Look at Haiti option 2 invade. Upside hero status for Clinton if it works Downside been there. Done that. Did no to work. Clinton a ambition to imitate president Kennedy has its limits Well invade Haiti first. _ a option 3 let the refugees in. Upside Back to the old tried and True. Favored by Miami a cuban exile Community. V Downside not by the hair on Florida gov. Lawton Chiles Chinny Chin Chin. A a a Chiles facing re election and up to his beaches in boat people spurred Clinton to reverse our cuban refugee policy. The president complied he surely remembers his own troubles from overcrowded mar Iel refugees who sparked a riot in Arkansas while he was governor besides Miami a cuban exiles vote Republican anyway. A a a a a option 4 talk to Castro. Upside its what he wants. Downside its what he wants on saturday the Linton administration announced talks limited Only to the immigration Issue. That s a Start but the administration should go much further. The president might be shy about reversing himself again a As he did in Bosnia Somalia and Haiti for starters a but there s no shame in a reversal that sends you in the right direction. Chicago Tribune License to steal Andy Rooney i he Young woman works just Down the Hall from me. Ill Call her Phyllis although Phyllis is not her name. Phyllis and i have a waiting for the elevator Friendship. She had worked late monday night and at about 9 30 set out to walk the 12 blocks Home. As she got within a few doors of her apartment House she slipped the strap of her pocketbook off her shoulder and fished Down in the folds of it for her _ door keys. There was a Lone Man approaching. As he got within a few feet he lunged for her purse and grabbed it with two hands. She held on until he jerked on it so violently that she lost her grip and fell to the sidewalk. A i done to know Why i did no to Start screaming until he started to run Quot she said. A i did no to have sneakers on or i could have caught him.�?�. \ she s an attractive woman but at 5-foot-9 and 145 pounds she a not a Dainty Flower. Phyllis chased the purse snatcher to the Corner of the Avenue where he turned right. There was a police car parked on the far Corner and she blurted out her Story to the police. With lights flashing they drove up the Avenue for 10 blocks looking for the thief but with dozens of alleyways he could have turned into it was hopeless. Back Home Between tears and fury Phyllis made an inventory. There had been $80 in Cash in her purse she remembered. Her company identification card four credit cards and her Drivers License. Most important her License. She had reserved a Hertz car for the weekend and needed her License by Friday. She did no to have a Good nights sleep. _ when Phyllis arrived at work the following Day there was a message on her machine from a woman who announced herself As Gloria a i have your cards All your cards a Gloria explained. Quo my Friend was ecstatic and made an arrangement to meet Gloria in a crime Ridden area of the Bronx. A i will be out front a Gloria promised. A a in la Wear purple sweater. Very Bright purple  Phyllis arranged for one of the messengers in her office to drive her there As they drove through the menacing neighbourhood they wound up their windows and locked the car doors. Halfway Down a miserable Block they spotted what they were looking for. In front of a rundown Rooming House there was the Bright purple sweater with Gloria quite obviously in it. Phyllis and her Driy or got but of the Van and approached the woman. A Chi. You must be Gloria a Phyllis said. She was Gloria and she handed Over the cards without a moments hesitation. Quot we arc so poor a Gloria said quickly. A so poor. Three children. No Man. No  Phyllis grasped the cards she thought shed never a see again and looked into her new pocketbook. A there s $20 for you a a she said peeling off Bills she had brought for the purpose. Quot and $10 for each of your  _ she handed Gloria $50. Gloria protested briefly but quickly thanked Phyllis and tucked the Money in her pocket _ on the drive Back to the office Phyllis and the Driver agreed that Good things can happen Iii new York City. They agreed that the whole world was hot evil aft Rall. Ten Days later Phyllis had All but put the incident out of her mind when she got talking to a neighbor the neighbor told of having her purse snatched the previous evening under circumstances that sounded strikingly familiar. A it All turned out Well though a the neighbor said a it gives you Faith in human beings. I got All my cards Back. I had this Call from a woman in the Bronx named . Tribune Media services Andy Rooney is a former stars and of ropes reporter. \ september 4, 1994 sunday Page 9