Sky-Hi News file photo
Three women from different countries shared their stories Wednesday in Grand Lake as they condemned socialism and encouraged listeners to seek out information about the U.S. Constitution.
Lily Tang Williams of China, Karin Smith of Sweden and Mailyn Cappuccio of Cuba all took questions at Squeaky B’s on Wednesday as part of eighth annual Grand Lake Constitution Week.
During a panel discussion, the women answered various questions from the audience, including ones about the day-to-day life in these countries, health care, immigration and what people can do to prevent communism and socialism in the United States.
Cappuccio described the poverty and discomfort she said Cubans deal with daily because of what she called the failure of the socialist system.
“Everybody’s equal — equal and miserable I would add,” Cappuccio said of living in Cuba.
For Williams, she said unlearning the “brainwashing” of her Chinese education was a long process and one she wanted to warn others about with the American education system today.
“It took me 20 years to become a free-thinker,” Williams said.
The women, all immigrants, took pride in being American citizens and said they arrived in the United States each with less than $200 in her pocket.
“We didn’t come here for the land of guarantees; we came here for the land of opportunities,” Smith said.
In their remarks, the women encouraged members of the audience to share their stories about problems with socialism. They also asked the audience to discuss the Constitution with young people, especially when public education might not focus enough on such topics. Events for Constitution Week continue through Saturday in Grand Lake.