Free stuff is not freedom

My parents and siblings were grateful to be able to leave socialism in Cuba for the democratic freedoms of the United States. Many Americans are here because they or their forebears escaped socialism for the better life democracy provides. Democracy and socialism are opposites.

In Cuba, the government provides "free" education at all levels, medical care, food for all. Of course, it's not really free, and the government decides who gets what. Now, we are being told that certain candidates for office support "democratic socialism." Socialism is bad, and if you don't believe me, ask any immigrant who came to this country to be free. In a "democratic socialism," the government will still be the central provider of all the people's needs, but maybe we would have democratic elections to decide who gets what. In Cuba, the government provides monthly vouchers for coffee and sugar. I guess we could have elections to decide how much coffee and sugar everyone gets, but as for me, I support the free market that has served us so well for these past couple hundred years.

In Cuba, stuff is "free," but in the United States, people are free.

Margaret Basch

Schaumburg