90 Miles From Tyranny

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

20 Years Ago Today, Cuba Shot Down Two American Civilian Aircraft In International Waters...

The 20th anniversary of the shoot down of the Brothers to the Rescue aircraft will be remembered Wednesday in solemn ceremonies across South Florida.

On February 24, 1996, three American citizens - Armando Alejandre, Jr., Carlos Costa, and Mario de la Peña—as well as one American resident, Pablo Morales - were on a humanitarian mission over international waters when their plane was shot down upon an order from the Cuban government.

The planes of the humanitarians were taken down by a Cuban MiG-29 in international airspace.

Several lawmakers have released statements on the 20th anniversary and have tied it in with the current thawing of relations between the U.S. and Cuba.

In a statement, U.S. Senator and presidential candidate Marco Rubio called the shoot down a "gross violation of U.S. law for which justice has not been served." Rubio added that the incident "stresses the long history of brutality by the Castro regime."

U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen referenced President Obama's upcoming trip to Cuba, which she called "misguided" in a statement.

"The Obama administration continues to provide the Castro regime – the same people who murdered the Brothers to the Rescue heroes – concession after concession without even a semblance of contrition or accountability by the murderers of these brave men.," she wrote, adding "The memories of the courageous Brothers to the Rescue heroes will endure as a testament to those who were willing to sacrifice everything for the cause of a free Cuba.”

A remembrance ceremony will take place at...

HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?!? Asylum Seeker Raped Young Migrant Shelter Employee AFTER He Received Anti-Rape Training

HE RECEIVED ANTI-RAPE TRAINING. SHE MUST BE LYING.

A 16 year old Afghan male claiming asylum in Belgium has been stripped of his asylum seeker status by the government after he raped an employee at a Red Cross shelter in Menen, West Flanders.

Although the identity or age of the victim has not been revealed by Belgian police, she has been described as “young service staff” of a catering firm contracted to provide food to the migrants at the Menen Red Cross shelter. Flemish Television (VTM) reports the rape took place in the cellar of the centre for young migrants on Wednesday 10th of Feburary, where the woman had gone to fetch supplies.

The girl has filed a complaint for prior verbal assault, and for rape. Because the migrant man is only 16 years old, he will be tried in a Belgian juvenile court, where if found guilty he would receive a significantly shorter sentence and be imprisoned in more comfortable conditions.

A short spell in prison is not the only consequence for the perpetrator if found guilty, though, as the Belgian Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration has made a robust response to....

Immigration activists are pushing for illegal immigrants to be granted the right to vote in New York City and say legislation to that effect could be introduced later this year.

The New York Post reports that a proposal to extend voting rights to illegal immigrants, allowing them to vote in elections for city-wide offices, was highlighted at a Black and Latino Legislative Caucus event.

“We want to expand the right to vote for everybody, not suppress the vote. What a radical idea,” Bertha Lewis, head of the Black Institute, said according to the Post. The Post notes she said they expect such legislation to be introduced in the spring.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has made extensive efforts on behalf of illegal immigrants, including offering a city identification card. According to the Post, Lewis said she sees the extension of voting rights as part of that effort.

“People want to come out of the shadows,” Lewis said, according to the paper.

As the Post notes, a number of years ago there was an effort to extend voting rights to legal non-citizen residents. The bill, which as introduced by Queens Councilman Dan Dromm and...