2006-02-08

Up on a soapbox

Well, I made it to my meeting on the right night and it was actually very interesting. The woman who runs the center where I will be volunteering gave a brief talk on the center and what it does. They only do naturalizations that are "clear and easy", meaning if there are any other issues such as crimes or anything in the past, they refer them to attorneys who work specifically in those areas. The attorneys were there last night too. This particular center has 100% success rate, meaning that anyone they don't refer becomes a naturalized citizen. The attorneys said they wished they could say the same thing.

I heard many stories last night and learned many things about immigration that I wasn't aware of. For instance, in Texas, if you are an illegal high school aged student and you have at least three years of high school, you are elligible for some government assitance. However, if you lie and say that you are an American citizen when you are not, you will be deported and banned for life.

The reason that I want to volunteer at this place is because I'm going to be exposed to counseling women of abuse. Many times meek and mild women are married to men who are American citizens and are abused and told that if they don't do this or that, the husband will not file her papers. One story last night told of an entire family abusing a woman with a small baby into thinking that she couldn't even leave the house. She lived with the shades pulled down and no one even knew that she existed. She finally escaped and made her way to a shelter.

My eyes have really been opened recently. Yesterday in class we watched The Free Speech Project. After watching that film, I think that either party (Republicans and Democrats) if given their way, would would restrict our rights to free speech. As awful as some things are to say, we are allowed to say them under the rights guaranteed by the first amendment. If you alter ANY bit of it, it changes the whole meaning and purpose of the document. I'm coming to learn that dissent really can be patriotic.

Wow.. I was actually on a soap box! I don't think I've ever had one of those before!

kellbelle at 6:59 a.m.

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