One Small Voice

[terri o'neale 0]

OK...I admit it yesterday was one of the worst days of my life. But I had a choice...I could ###### and cry and moan...or I could do something. So Emily and I have chosen to do something. Every day from now until...whenever...we are sending daily email updates to our representatives, the press and everyone we know. We are going to help them understand some of the real issues. Maybe we can't stop what is happening...heck I'm not sure I want to...but I am sure that I want something in whatever bill that does get passed that rewards those of us doing this the right way. The only way to do that is to become as vocal as the illegals are. So here is our first email...

Hello, my name is Emily Catrina O’Neale. I am one of the hundreds of thousands of REAL American victims of ‘Immigration’ reform. While the press and my elected representatives are focused on 12 million law-breakers, my mommy and I are missing my daddy because we are obeying the laws of the land. Yesterday was one of the worst days of my young life. My mommy was crying all day because no one cared what families like ours is going through…only what illegal aliens are doing.

Let me tell you our story. I will be four months old tomorrow. Half of my young life, I have missed my daddy. My mommy and daddy met October 10, 2004 on the Internet. I’m really happy former Vice-President Gore invented it; otherwise I probably wouldn’t be here. On December 28, 2004, Daddy came to Los Angeles to visit Mommy. He fell in love with her. It took Mommy a while longer. See, I have five older brothers and sister. Mommy didn’t think any man could really love an almost 40 year old single mom. It took lots of Daddy’s love to win her over, but in May 2005 Mommy went to London to meet Daddy’s family. And they made me.

Mommy had a really hard time when she was pregnant with me. Daddy proved over and over again how much he loved us. He supported us because Mommy couldn’t work. He moved us into a new apartment so there would be more room for my big brothers and sister. He did more for them than their own American daddy. On January 3, 2006, I was born; four weeks early. My daddy didn’t even make it in time. When he got there he came for two months on the Visa Waiver program. He and Mommy got married. That made me happy because I thought that meant we could be together forever then. But then Mommy says that Daddy has to go home. She said we have to file some papers so Daddy can live with us. But I don’t understand. Many of the babies that were born at the hospital with me didn’t have papers and they got to stay with their mommies and daddies.

Then yesterday I see Mommy screaming and crying because those other mommies and daddies are demanding the right to live and work here while my daddy has to stay in London. I don’t understand that. Why should they have rights that Mommy and I don’t have as American citizens? Why are they being called immigrants when they are illegal aliens? Why aren’t people being told how hard things are for the tens of thousands of families like ours that are doing things legally? Why don’t any of these bills help us out instead of those people that broke the law?

Maybe Mommy and I are just two little voices but we are going to keep writing these emails every day and sending them to the press, our representatives and everyone we know…until we make them understand the pain this is causing real American families like ours that are obeying the laws and enduring these painful separations. So until tomorrow…have a good day. I hope mine and Mommy’s is better than yesterday.

Sincerely,

Emily Catrina O’Neale

Paul and Terri O’Neale, parents

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

sweet!!

[CarolineM 0]

that's really good!!! Very cool letter

[rejane 1]

Very good letter....

[Traviesa 0]

Terri, your letter was very sweet...however, I am coming up short when I see the word "victim." How exactly have you been victimized so far in your process-it appears that you were married just a couple months ago and started the process right after that. Did you not realize that separation occurs during the Visa process? I mean, excessive separation (like when I think of Char who has been in this process for several YEARS now) is one thing but the normal, natural separation of a straightforward process is not being "victimized." I mean what exactly would make you happy-instantaneous approval? You say you don't have rights, but you are exercising some of your key rights as an American citizen-one of which being to petition for your husband, another being to talk with your elected officials. And you say yesterday was the worst day of your life? What an amazing life you must have had so far, because, even as we were denied a Visa until 2008-which occurred yesterday-that still was not the worst day of my life.

[almaty 19]

a great letter.

[Fandango 1,440]

I think it's a great letter, and I also think you're a very lucky woman if yesterday was one of THE WORST days of your life. Congratulations!

[terri o'neale 0]

Terri, your letter was very sweet...however, I am coming up short when I see the word "victim." How exactly have you been victimized so far in your process-it appears that you were married just a couple months ago and started the process right after that. Did you not realize that separation occurs during the Visa process? I mean, excessive separation (like when I think of Char who has been in this process for several YEARS now) is one thing but the normal, natural separation of a straightforward process is not being "victimized." I mean what exactly would make you happy-instantaneous approval? You say you don't have rights, but you are exercising some of your key rights as an American citizen-one of which being to petition for your husband, another being to talk with your elected officials. And you say yesterday was the worst day of your life? What an amazing life you must have had so far, because, even as we were denied a Visa until 2008-which occurred yesterday-that still was not the worst day of my life.

I am very sorry for your pain. But that does not diminish my own. I am a single parent raising a child without her dad. But seeing ILLEGALS demand rights I don't have and getting to stay here and work isn't fair.

Like I sad I'm sorry for your pain. But I'm also a bit tired of hearing about how you are a victim. Your fiance did two illegal things. He came into this country without documents and he did drugs. Their decision has merits. Now like me...do something about your situation instead of whining. Cause you ain't the only person in pain over this whole screwed up system.

[Fandango 1,440]

Terrie, you're out of line being so rude to MissLiss, I'm sorry but there's no need for it. What you're going thru isn't fair and neither is it fair for Mel...so don't take your frustration out on her.

We're all adults here

[Traviesa 0]

Terri, your letter was very sweet...however, I am coming up short when I see the word "victim." How exactly have you been victimized so far in your process-it appears that you were married just a couple months ago and started the process right after that. Did you not realize that separation occurs during the Visa process? I mean, excessive separation (like when I think of Char who has been in this process for several YEARS now) is one thing but the normal, natural separation of a straightforward process is not being "victimized." I mean what exactly would make you happy-instantaneous approval? You say you don't have rights, but you are exercising some of your key rights as an American citizen-one of which being to petition for your husband, another being to talk with your elected officials. And you say yesterday was the worst day of your life? What an amazing life you must have had so far, because, even as we were denied a Visa until 2008-which occurred yesterday-that still was not the worst day of my life.

I am very sorry for your pain. But that does not diminish my own. I am a single parent raising a child without her dad. But seeing ILLEGALS demand rights I don't have and getting to stay here and work isn't fair.

Like I sad I'm sorry for your pain. But I'm also a bit tired of hearing about how you are a victim. Your fiance did two illegal things. He came into this country without documents and he did drugs. Their decision has merits. Now like me...do something about your situation instead of whining. Cause you ain't the only person in pain over this whole screwed up system.

What has happened in our situation is an injustice, pure and simple. Having said that, I have another friend whose husband is gone half the year with the military. She's raised two kids-one now 3 and the other almost 1-half of the time as a single parent. But life goes on, as it needs to. I just feel like you don't seem able to cope with things as they are. Despite what we all think (and I just learned this yesterday) the Supreme Court does NOT recognize the right to live with your spouse. All of us on here have faced separation, but the fact alone that you are separated is not an injustice. It sucks, but it's something that comes along with the territory. We make our choices, we live with them. I mean if everyone who had to wait through the Visa process were writing letters to Congresspeople, it's no wonder they don't have time to work more on our situation. And the truly screwed up ones like the one I mentioned and several more on this thread. I'm not whining by the way, if I was you would certainly know. And check my thread again-you'll see my plans listed there.

[terri o'neale 0]

Terrie, you're out of line being so rude to MissLiss, I'm sorry but there's no need for it. What you're going thru isn't fair and neither is it fair for Mel...so don't take your frustration out on her.

We're all adults here

Obviously...only her pain counts. I suggested a very positive way that all of us could make changes to what we are enduring. But instead of support she personally attacks me...minimizing my pain. And I am reprimanded.

We all have choices...I choose not to seat back and watch as this situation unfolds but rather to be part of the discussion. If we all did this, we could redirect this process and change our outcomes. Such as positive legislation that would:

1) Change K1 visas from 90 days to two years...so couples could get to know one another better and lower the divorce rate.

2) Allow K3 families to stay together while the process is adjudicated. I mean if the illegals can stay...why can't our spouses?

3) Make certain that whatever law gets passed includes funding for more USCIS personnel so that our cases don't get back logged like happened in 1986.

4) Allow for more family visas for non-spouses...I heaard that Phillipine families are waiting 18 years to bring over family members.

I would love for one of you people that have been stuck in this system for years to lead this fight...but no one has stepped forward. SO yes I haven't been in this fight for long...but I am doing something. I would rather this thread turn towards what little thing we can all do to change things...instead of personal attacks against anyone. I suggested 4 things I can see should happen...how about what the rest of you think should be changed? Especially the elders here.

I apologize to MissLiss but I also think I deserve one in turn for her remarks.

[pax 0]

I believe MissLiss stated a disagreement in a rather calm and respectful way, actually.

[Fandango 1,440]

Terri, no disrespect, but I happen to think you're being a little overly dramatic. I agree with Pax that MissLiss stated a disagreement in a calm & respectful way. Now this bit is my opinion only: You, in turn, used her situation against her as ammo to somewhat hold yourself above her, and I think that's wrong. I don't feel she owes you an apology at all.

Edited May 2, 2006 by LisaD

[Traviesa 0]

We all have choices...I choose not to seat back and watch as this situation unfolds but rather to be part of the discussion. If we all did this, we could redirect this process and change our outcomes. Such as positive legislation that would:

1) Change K1 visas from 90 days to two years...so couples could get to know one another better and lower the divorce rate.

2) Allow K3 families to stay together while the process is adjudicated. I mean if the illegals can stay...why can't our spouses?

3) Make certain that whatever law gets passed includes funding for more USCIS personnel so that our cases don't get back logged like happened in 1986.

4) Allow for more family visas for non-spouses...I heaard that Phillipine families are waiting 18 years to bring over family members.

Your ideas sound good actually. The most important one I think is addressing the backlog. Allowing spouses to stay here during the processing time would not logistically work out, because there are security issues to be considered.

[Fandango 1,440]

We're all apart from our fiancees/husbands/etc. We all are feeling the pain. We don't need to turn on each other.

And I also don't think K1s should be extended from 90 days. so sue me *shrug*