JUST WHO ARE THE MEMBERS OF THE RAPID RESPONSE BRIGADES?
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FROM CUBA:
JUST WHO ARE THE MEMBERS OF THE RAPID RESPONSE BRIGADES?


By Tomas Perez Morejon, Forum for Reform.
PINAR DEL RIO, August 6, 1996.- Sure, they are the unconditional ones at each job site, neighborhood, etc. But that's not what I'm talking about. From what social classes are they? Do they have families, in other words, do they have a mother, a father, children, brothers? To know them better let's look at history.

They've existed since Christ's crucifiction. I don't know if even before such a pack of people, beings thirsty for blood and eager for anything existed. They'll falsely crucify you, like they did with Christ, who not even the judges wanted to condemn, and yet they succeeded in crucifying him. Just like they will throw bricks, or hit with wrought iron or even chains, a young person, or an old man. They are the ones who shut off the electricity and the water from their victim's homes, it matters not whether, in the sieged home, there might be old people, infirm or children. That doesn't matter, because the more defenseless are their victims, the more these rats enjoy themselves.

After they crucified Christ, they have been there throughout history in many sieges, but let's review some of the more prominent ones. Remember the volunteers who asked for the murder of the medical students in Havana on November 27, 1871, and they accomplished it? They were there. Remember the lynch mobs in the old American west? They were there. Remember the pink shirts, who would kill the cristeros back in Mexico? Those were the same rapid response brigades. Remember Hitler's brown shirts, who would beat and kill the peace fighters? They were there. Remember Machado's goons who would beat, keep under siege and kill revolutionaries? They were there. Remember the stoolies and Masferrer's tigers under the Batista regime? They were in charge of keeping watch, turn in, beat and kill the revolutionaries. Those were the same who keep watch, turn in, beat and kill.

Their feelings are the same, the same lack of scruples, the same lack of dignity, the same low morality, spiritual, social, fraternal, and I still have more adjectives to describe them, but it would involve insulting dogs, snakes and yet another plethora of vermins. They better not say that they are being forced to do it, because it is not true. I was asked to join the Brigades and I told them that when they would mete out food, medicines, and clothing, I would help them, but to mete out beatings and participate in sieges don't ask for my help, I'm not that type of person.

Perhaps among them there are those who still have not been sprinkled with the blood of their innocent and defenseless brothers. Cuban mother, Cuban father, wife, sister, brother, talk to your family, convince them not to become assassins authorized by the government. Don't allow it, convince them.



Translated for CubaNet by Lourdes Arriete