forgive my dissapointment in the group

[JonInDenver]

the chit chat on this site is nice, and i understand the importance of "camaraderie" between us. going through what we are, there is bound to be some "contemplating of the meaning or our government's naval" as well. i am however surprised at the unwillingness of so many members here to take real action.

 

very few members have mentioned anything about their senators and representatives. many people have mentioned "giving up on them" after a couple of phone calls or faxes. "they don't care, they won't do anything."

 

one of my senator's offices has been sympathetic, but only in the last month or so has taken a passionate and almost militant interest in our situation.

 

the other senator's office ignored me completely for months, and on the first contact stated "you know, you wouldn't have to go through all this if you would marry american women." this very same person is now finally on our case, and expresses outrage at our situation.

 

my representative to congress is Tom "troops on the boarder" Tancredo! it took 13 e-mails, 7 faxes, and countless phone messages - but they too are angry about how we are being treated, and have joined the fight.

 

these people may not come around easy - but flashing some comparative timelines, and relentless pursuit will pay off. even shaming them for inaction if you need to. if your local office will not respond appropriately, contact the DC office and watch what happens.

 

i have offered to put YOUR delegates in touch with MY delegates, as they wish to team up to swap information and apply combined pressure where they can. TWO individuals on this board have shown any interest in this approach. even folks from my own state, where we now have the ears of our reps, are absent.

 

the COMBINED efforts of our representative's delegates can get more information and make better contacts than each of us calling the DOS "visa specialist" 20 times a week will ever do.

 

i have recommended contacting your local media sources. that 3 minute blurb on CNN was great! but to raise awareness, and push our individual government reps into action, we need local media coverage. no, i haven't had much luck in scoring an investigation, an interview, or a human interest story - but then i am ONE guy - who is unable to get MORE people to contact our media outlets.

 

i am willing to share whatever letters i have tried, or to help build a current functional media kit for this site. all i know is that my lone leter carries no weight, i need help.

 

yes, as individuals we are powerless against DOS, DOJ, INS, GZ, CIA, FBI, and all the others involved in holding our lives hostage.

 

but, as individuals acting together, we CAN push our governmental delegates into action. we CAN push them to demand MORE than a stupid form letter. we can provide them with the information we have, help them to coordinate with each other, and bring more pressure upon those who oppress our pursuit of happiness.

 

i genuinely believe that we CAN be seen and heard. as awareness rises, more tools become available to attack our situation.

 

this is not meant as an insult - but as an invitation. just as i have written countless impassioned letters to the delegates and red tape mongers of our nation - i am now asking all of YOU to make the push. get up and march! make the phone calls as soon as you get to the office in the morning! send the faxes as soon as you can find a number! send those e-mails at 3:10AM - when you are sad, and alone for yet another night. tell them flat out "i am too damn mad to sleep!"

 

we are so close...

 

...please do not rest another day.

[Myles]

Aloha from Hawaii.

Unfortunately, from my sources in the INS Inspectors, Tancredo is part of the problem

and not the solution. He made a lot of noise but did very little. As a member of the

committee that dealt with the INS he did nothing to help the INS with the problems.

He voiced many complaints and offered no solutions when he was in a position to

make the changes. The people that I know are not connected with Guangzhou and

cannot help any of us.

Myles aka Annakuen'GG

[Mick]

Well-said Jon. I hope your words can serve as a wake-up call to many. Yet I do understand that people have grown weary and apathetic after repeated attempts at getting their Congressional reps involved. After so many brush-offs, form letters, and the like, many people pass from activity back into passivity. I think this passivity is driven by despondency and a loss of hope. I know I pass into periods like this myself.

 

However, I always manage to wake myself back up and get moving again. I am at a point where I refuse to give up on this thing. As you probably know, another board member and myself are going to GZ in Feb. to try to raise the flag once again. Will it help? I hope so! I see it as win-win. If they hear us out and take action, then we have won. If they turn a deaf ear and give us the old shell game again, at least we have more documented proof of their insensitivity and incompetence. So, in my view, our trip to GZ will be a success no matter what the outcome. That is why I am going through the time and expense of getting there.

 

I think this board does supply comradarie, which is most needed in these confusing times we face. And I appreciate the comradarie perhaps more than most as I am far away from other Americans who are going through the same thing. I think every post on this board, even the joking and half-serious ones, serves a purpose. Many people from many backgrounds make up our nation and also make up this board. Also, many people have divergent and conflicting views. But the great thing about this board, at least for me, is unity in diversity. We all share a common problem and a common purpose. For that I am grateful.

 

Like I said at the beginning. I appreciate your post and your well-intentioned "call to arms". I think you make an excellent illustration of how repeated efforts eventually achieve results. I am specifically referring to your story about your congressmen who first told you to "marry an American woman". I wish you well in your ongoing efforts. Keep us posted, please.

[Jatuke]

I still feel that March 1st is the day we'll start seeing real action, the day Dept. of Homeland Security takes over the Visa Services and Immigrations Unit.

[Mick]

I still feel that March 1st is the day we'll start seeing real action, the day Dept. of Homeland Security takes over the Visa Services and Immigrations Unit.

You may be right Jatuke, I don't know. But what I do fear is "What kind of action?" It may not be positive.

[owenkrout]

Jon,

 

You are 100% correct on this one. I have also being trying the media route, but with no success so far. See my message earlier today in another thread.

 

Also you are right about everybody needing to contribute, not just a few of us. I have even seen some whining about the expense. I am willing to bet that compared to my yearly income, I have spent and will spend more on this than about anybody and I say if it in some small way helps us to have a better government, it is worth it.

 

I am not sure if I mentioned it, but Senator Brownback's office was already in touch with your Senator's office and aware of their activism on the issue. Seems that Brownback left the immigration committee this year.

 

Maybe for some people sitting back and waiting to see if something happens in March is good enough. Fine, do so. For many though, including myself this has become an issue of our just being treated unfairly and that it is wrong.

 

Keep after it Jon. Anybody who can actually get something done is bound to be abrasive enough to upset people occcassionally. I speak from personal experience.

[AZwolfman]

Comradrie also serves its purpose. You are also right, Jon, but I have noticed in the past week that more of us seem to be becoming proactive. You may have also noticed some of us posting letters we have sent, and ideas, and inviting others to copy and paste for use in their own letters. Owen, Mick, and Ana have been particularly helpful in this respect. There have been others - sorry their names don't come to mind just now.

 

We have over 200 members in this group, and I mean for each one of us to write letters to fax, email, etc., even if I have to write form letters for each and every one of us. Just do the math: if each of our 200+ members sent just one letter per day, our contacts will have received over 1,000 letters this week on the subject of visa delays. Our gov't sends us form letters; we know how to do this too.

[Myles]

Aloha from Hawaii.

The chit chat helps to keep us sane. This is a long and hard fight for all of us.

If it was easy this group would not exist. We are here because our wives and

sweet hearts are worth fighting for. I like this group because they are trying

instead of crying. If you are looking for sympathy he is not here. He will not

do anything for you anyway. Follow Tex. Get angry and fight.

Myles aka Annakuen'GG

[AZwolfman]

I like this group because they are trying

instead of crying.  If you are looking for sympathy he is not here.  He will notdo anything for you anyway.  Follow Tex.  Get angry and fight.

Right, I like that. Our slogan could be, "Try don't cry!"

[JonInDenver]

so according to the response to this post, Ana and Owen are the only ones pushing our representative's deligates? none of you have solid contacts?

 

Owen is the only one pushing media sources?

[Eric&Yuhui]

so according to the response to this post, Ana and Owen are the only ones pushing our representative's deligates?  none of you have solid contacts?

 

Owen is the only one pushing media sources?

Not so Jon.

I do not have "solid media" contacts however.

[Ana]

theyll never pay any attention to us as individuals. it is only as a group that we have any power.

[Eric&Yuhui]

theyll never pay any attention to us as individuals.  it is only as a group that we have any power.

That's it... I'm writing to Chirac...

He's George buddy,, I think...

Is he ????

[chinadave2001]

Jon,

Many people have written numerous letters to our representatives, the media, the president, and to DOS officials at all levels. I had already done all of this before I even discovered this site. WE all need to keep on doing it, as often as possible, in a relentless fashion. Right now I am trying to get my local paper involved and my students started their e-mail campaign today. It's sort of like looking for a job - you never know when your resume will end up on the right desk. One of these days, one of these ideas will work and we just have to keep trying until it happens. Both of my Senators are working on this.

On the other hand, a college friend of mine who is a Congressional legislative aide for 12 years now advised me to be careful, in that "While a squeaky wheel may get the grease, a wheel that squeaks too much gets ignored." I will call again next week to see what has developed, if anything.

I also have to say that the "chit chat" that you mock may be the only thing keeping me sane right now. And I've only been waiting for five months. There is nobody that I know that can possibly understand what I am feeling right now except the people in this group. Others can only sympathize...This is the only place right now where I can get honest answers, bar none. I am grateful for all the advise and suggestions that I've received in such a short time.

Dave

[Eric&Yuhui]

Jon,

Many people have written numerous letters  to our representatives, the media, the president, and to DOS officials at all levels. I had already done all of this before I even discovered this site. WE all need to keep on doing it, as often as possible, in a relentless fashion. Right now I am trying to get my local paper involved and my students started their e-mail campaign today. It's sort of like looking for a job - you never know when your resume will end up on the right desk. One of these days, one of these ideas will work and we just have to keep trying until it happens. Both of my Senators are working on this.

On the other hand, a college friend of mine who is a Congressional legislative aide for 12 years now advised me to be careful, in that "While a squeaky wheel may get the grease, a wheel that squeaks too much gets ignored." I will call again next week to see what has developed, if anything.

I also have to say that the "chit chat" that you mock may be the only thing keeping me sane right now. And I've only been waiting for five months. There is nobody that I know that can possibly understand what I am feeling right now except the people in this group. Others can only sympathize...This is the only place right now where I can get honest answers, bar none. I am grateful for all the advise and suggestions that I've received in such a short time.

Dave

well said Dave. Very well said