By Katharhynn Heidelberg

Elian’s Miami relatives have a position nearly every patriotic American can relate to. To a degree. Their niece and cousin made the ultimate sacrifice to bring Elian to the land of the free. His great-uncle Lazaro Gonzalez is committed then, to seeing that Elian remains here, whatever the costs.

But, should those costs include denying him a life with his nearest living relative? Should they include using him like a puppet instead of treating him like a human being? Should those costs be extended to subjecting the young boy to irreparable psychological damage?

It seems that Lazaro’s answer is yes. His response to the surprisingly reasonable Attorney General was that his family would do whatever was required to keep Elian. That much is plain to see: "Whatever it takes" has thus far included surrounding the boy 24 hours a day with chanting crowds. "Whatever it takes" has included Lazaro hoisting the child onto his shoulders, literally parading him through the streets, and teaching him the "cute" two-handed wave that Elian renders up on cue. Most recently, and most appallingly, Lazaro’s tactics have included a shameless video in which the boy gives a dictatorial performance worthy of Castro himself.

Even if the video was not scripted — and, come on, we know that it was — since when do six-year-olds get to make the rules? What sort of responsible adult permits a child to talk as rudely as Elian did — to anyone, let alone his own father? And frankly, what sort of fool would take pains to accustom a child barely out of infancy to getting his own way all of the time?

Lazaro’s bid to keep Elian has gotten very much out of hand. A case in point is that he appears content to let an assortment of odd characters view his nephew as a talisman; not just as a symbol of freedom, which is understandable, but as a veritable good luck charm. A woman in his neighborhood — who got her 15 minutes of fame during a lull of actual news about the case — insists that Elian is a divine being, sacred to the practice of Santeria. She contends that without Elian, Castro cannot have good luck, and so, he insists that the boy return to Cuba.

Anyone else would say that enough is enough. Perhaps Lazaro hasn’t got a high opinion of his neighbor’s suggestion either, but the point is, he has done nothing to stop her fantasies, although he surely knows it cannot be healthy for a boy to grow up believing he is a god. Such unnatural obsession with the boy after all only furthers Lazaro’s cause. And it seems that the cause has far eclipsed the child in terms of importance.

Perhaps most outrageous of all is that, after all this, Lazaro’s attorneys have the nerve to raise the specter of psychological damage. There is no question that the boy will be messed up. But, whose fault is that? The federal officials who wish to see the lad returned to his father, in accordance with the law? Juan Miguel Gonzalez’s, for responding as any parent would when his child is stolen from under his nose? Or does the fault lie with those individuals who have manipulated the situation, incited civil unrest, and refused to consider any compromise, let alone prepare the child for a return to Cuba?