Florida Bill Cuts Cuba Student Travel
Wednesday May 31, 2006
Florida governor Jeb Bush yesterday signed a bill passed by the Florida Senate which eliminates state funding and bans use of private funds for state school-planned educational travel to Cuba and four other countries considered "terrorist states." The Florida Ledger notes: "There is little academic travel from Florida to the other countries on the list - North Korea, Iran, Libya, Syria and Sudan -- so it is clear that Cuba is the main target."
Florida ACLU director Howard Simon says Americans need to know about countries to which the bill bans traveling for research. Florida Professor Uva de Aragon told the Miami Herald that the United States needs Cuba researchers "...'in order for them to be informed of what happens in the country.'''
Currently, students elsewhere in the US may travel to Cuba for academic research but must generally show plans to stay in Cuba for 10 weeks. Pleasure travel to Cuba by US citizens has, essentially, been illegal since 1963.
- Ledger: "An Assault on Academic Freedom" | Miami Herald: "Law bans travel to 'terrorist states'" | Florida ACLU statement | Official US Cuba travel restrictions
Comments
Yet another initiative by the Bushes to control the public and keep kids dumb.
Florida state representative David Rivera said,”Legislators just don’t pay too much attention to what academics think.” and mosquito research that’s being done in Cuba by Florida academics is off, thanks to Rivera’s bill.
http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/Opinion/Editorials/opnOPN59052706.htm
Of all states, they place the ban on the state with the largest population of Cuban-Americans. Looks like I’ll never see where my parents grew up.
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