Should VisaJourney also sponsor the petition to end the widow penalty?

[TBoneTX 45,287]

TBoneTX -- speaking of issues, I was looking at your timeline and it's outrageous. Are there a lot of people waiting this long here?

Randall - Take a look at the timelines for the members 'estadia' and 'Gogo'. These are cases of a lack of transparency and due process at the Consular level.

Thank you for asking, Randall, and thanks to RJ for pointing out the truly egregious cases. (Actually, isn't "estadia" a USCIS rather than a consular hang-up? Regardless, everyone here is pulling for her.)

My first-blush opinion has been changed by the subsequent posts, especially those from RJ. Furthermore, hoorah to Admiral Ewok for his latest reply.

In answer: My petition took 6+ months at the CSC, and AOS was uneventful, but the true issue was with the consulate. Randall, if you want another "cause," please consider the 100% lack of consular accountability -- arbitrary decisions, endless 221(g) requests, and outright abuse of U.S. citizens. The thread in the Latin American subforum, entitled "US Consulate in Guayaquil, Ecuador," contains stark and ongoing examples. So do the linked threads that are within the chief thread.

Fighting the Department of State would not be easy, especially because most of the administrators imaginably rose through the consular ranks themselves and have entrenched attitudes, yet whatever can be done must be tried. If you were to contact the affected Ecuador filers for the unvarnished truth (often watered down in their VJ posts, or not expressed at all), your computer would explode. There are too many of those VJ members for me to list them here.

One of my attorneys -- himself a former vice-consul in Venezuela and now established with the largest immigration-law firm in Houston -- flatly told me to file an after-visa complaint with the Dept. of State and with the Consul General in Guayaquil. (I have not done so yet, even though I remain livid after more than a year.) The attorney's bluntness says something, and if you're interested in helping fight or expose the abuses, you'll have your hands full but with many folks behind you.

Edited August 2, 2009 by TBoneTX

[mox 298]

I just don't think it is a good idea for VJ/Ewok to endorse anything. This is not a political activism website.

Is the cause worth it? Absolutely yes. But again, this is not VJ's purpose. Me thinks.

I'm not going to say how I voted, but Len makes a fantastic point here. As things currently stand, it's outside VJ's purpose. *Should* it be part of VJ's purpose? That's a different question entirely.

[rebeccajo 14]

I just don't think it is a good idea for VJ/Ewok to endorse anything. This is not a political activism website.

Is the cause worth it? Absolutely yes. But again, this is not VJ's purpose. Me thinks.

I'm not going to say how I voted, but Len makes a fantastic point here. As things currently stand, it's outside VJ's purpose. *Should* it be part of VJ's purpose? That's a different question entirely.

Have you ever looked in the Gallery photos for the TSC protests?

[mox 298]

I just don't think it is a good idea for VJ/Ewok to endorse anything. This is not a political activism website.

Is the cause worth it? Absolutely yes. But again, this is not VJ's purpose. Me thinks.

I'm not going to say how I voted, but Len makes a fantastic point here. As things currently stand, it's outside VJ's purpose. *Should* it be part of VJ's purpose? That's a different question entirely.

Have you ever looked in the Gallery photos for the TSC protests?

Yes.

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

I just don't think it is a good idea for VJ/Ewok to endorse anything. This is not a political activism website.

Is the cause worth it? Absolutely yes. But again, this is not VJ's purpose. Me thinks.

I'm not going to say how I voted, but Len makes a fantastic point here. As things currently stand, it's outside VJ's purpose. *Should* it be part of VJ's purpose? That's a different question entirely.

Have you ever looked in the Gallery photos for the TSC protests?

I was looking for those the other day, because that little protest started this site didn't it?

[rebeccajo 14]

I just don't think it is a good idea for VJ/Ewok to endorse anything. This is not a political activism website.

Is the cause worth it? Absolutely yes. But again, this is not VJ's purpose. Me thinks.

I'm not going to say how I voted, but Len makes a fantastic point here. As things currently stand, it's outside VJ's purpose. *Should* it be part of VJ's purpose? That's a different question entirely.

Have you ever looked in the Gallery photos for the TSC protests?

Yes.

So there was never political activism on, or because of, VisaJourney?

[Randall Emery 0]

Fighting the Department of State would not be easy, especially because most of the administrators imaginably rose through the consular ranks themselves and have entrenched attitudes,...

We would approach the elected officials to whom they ulitmately report. But I wouldn't characterize it as a fight. Nobody has to lose in order for us to win.

For example, American Families United was the group behind the fix to the FBI name check problem. I'm sure that when we raised the issue, the FBI made a case as well. I say that because we asked for a supervisory review process to instill some acountability and instead got $20 million thrown at the issue. But... that money largely solved the problem. At the end of the day, we won and so did the FBI. The country as a whole won as well, because as it stood before, people were here in the country for years without being checked out. That security risk that has since been addressed.

But I do know where you are coming from. I waited 3.5 years on a name check delay with similar concerns, before filing a suit in federal court (and winning).

In retospect, however, I wish I´d gone the route of collectively approaching elected officials with the direction of the right people from the start. That whole effort, including starting an organization from scratch, took 2 years, and most of that time was actually setting up the organization.

[Captain Ewok 1,891]

I just posted a factual article on the status of congressional action on the "Widow Penalty". I am open to receiving a press release from an organization supporting this to publish in part or whole as part of a larger article on the matter.

http://www.visajourney.com/news/2009/08/03...porting-widows/

[mox 298]

I just don't think it is a good idea for VJ/Ewok to endorse anything. This is not a political activism website.

Is the cause worth it? Absolutely yes. But again, this is not VJ's purpose. Me thinks.

I'm not going to say how I voted, but Len makes a fantastic point here. As things currently stand, it's outside VJ's purpose. *Should* it be part of VJ's purpose? That's a different question entirely.

Have you ever looked in the Gallery photos for the TSC protests?

Yes.

So there was never political activism on, or because of, VisaJourney?

Not sure who this is directed at, myself or Len. As for me, I didn't say there's *never* been political activism on VJ. I said that currently it seems to be outside of VJ's purpose to "educate and provide general information regarding family and marriage based immigration (K1, K3, IR-1 Visas, DCF, etc) for a spouse, fiance, parent(s) or other close relatives to reunite and bring together families." A full-on shift to political activism is a big undertaking, and I think it's worth a lot more discussion than just a poll.

Edited August 3, 2009 by mox

[rebeccajo 14]

I just don't think it is a good idea for VJ/Ewok to endorse anything. This is not a political activism website.

Is the cause worth it? Absolutely yes. But again, this is not VJ's purpose. Me thinks.

I'm not going to say how I voted, but Len makes a fantastic point here. As things currently stand, it's outside VJ's purpose. *Should* it be part of VJ's purpose? That's a different question entirely.

Have you ever looked in the Gallery photos for the TSC protests?

Yes.

So there was never political activism on, or because of, VisaJourney?

Not sure who this is directed at, myself or Len. As for me, I didn't say there's *never* been political activism on VJ. I said that currently it seems to be outside of VJ's purpose to "educate and provide general information regarding family and marriage based immigration (K1, K3, IR-1 Visas, DCF, etc) for a spouse, fiance, parent(s) or other close relatives to reunite and bring together families." A full-on shift to political activism is a big undertaking, and I think it's worth a lot more discussion than just a poll.

It's not 'directed' at either of you - just a question, I guess.

IMO, Vj at its inception was very different than today. I see the site today as shifting away from being a reliable source of anecdotal immigration advice to a social networking site. Personally I'd love to see a return to the 'grassroots' while somehow allowing for a social global community - global community being defined as one that steers AWAY from regional or cultural clusters.

And - as far as 'political activism' goes - I don't think it's necessary that such endeavors be our main purpose. But IMO standing for something (once in a while) is better than standing for nothing.

Edited August 3, 2009 by rebeccajo

[mox 298]

Speaking for (although not on "behalf of") the Russian/Pitcairn forum, the social networking aspect is what's so useful about VJ. Member posts a question, that question is answered quickly and accurately, clarifications are sought or made as necessary, and then the thread devolves into discussions about pie, guns, and old, fat, bald, misogynistic men and our beautiful Eastern European wimmin who we keep in virtual slavery. Unless the nature of VJ were to radically change, the social networking part is just the natural progression of any online forum. Honestly, there's only so much you can talk about immigration. To paraphrase some old dead white guy, "there are no new immigration questions." I'm pretty sure the vast majority of solicitations for advice or information have been answered in the past, in one form or another. Immigration law changes, but not that fast, so it's not like a technical forum where the latest and greatest patch can change what used to be a "yes" to a "no" overnight. So eventually there's really nothing else to do except network socially. Which is a really good thing, because then you get to really see what the person is really like who's been handing out immigration advice with the air of an expert.

I have no problem with standing for something. I have specific beliefs about animal rights, but I don't go spouting off about them when I'm standing in line at Safeway buying my ground beef, pork rinds, and bacon-in-a-tube. If VJ (whoever that encompasses) wants to stand for something, then VJ should form a PAC. Anything short of that is just posing and making happy feel good fluffy hearts. (#######, I think I tipped off my vote.)

[rebeccajo 14]

Speaking for (although not on "behalf of") the Russian/Pitcairn forum, the social networking aspect is what's so useful about VJ. Member posts a question, that question is answered quickly and accurately, clarifications are sought or made as necessary, and then the thread devolves into discussions about pie, guns, and old, fat, bald, misogynistic men and our beautiful Eastern European wimmin who we keep in virtual slavery. Unless the nature of VJ were to radically change, the social networking part is just the natural progression of any online forum. Honestly, there's only so much you can talk about immigration. To paraphrase some old dead white guy, "there are no new immigration questions." I'm pretty sure the vast majority of solicitations for advice or information have been answered in the past, in one form or another. Immigration law changes, but not that fast, so it's not like a technical forum where the latest and greatest patch can change what used to be a "yes" to a "no" overnight. So eventually there's really nothing else to do except network socially. Which is a really good thing, because then you get to really see what the person is really like who's been handing out immigration advice with the air of an expert.

I have no problem with standing for something. I have specific beliefs about animal rights, but I don't go spouting off about them when I'm standing in line at Safeway buying my ground beef, pork rinds, and bacon-in-a-tube. If VJ (whoever that encompasses) wants to stand for something, then VJ should form a PAC. Anything short of that is just posing and making happy feel good fluffy hearts. (#######, I think I tipped off my vote.)

*shrugs*

You and I both know that the Regional Forums will not be dissolved. I'm not trying to start an argument about that. It's just my opinion (and that's all it is) that it was more 'fun' around here and easier to get to know the 'players' when we weren't divided by the Regional Forums. Lots of other people feel differently. I can live with that.

As far as getting to know someone, I idly note that even though we agreed to try and work out our differences on Yahoo, you've not completed the "add" request. Sad really. I've never seen the reason for all the animosity.

[mox 298]

*shrugs*

You and I both know that the Regional Forums will not be dissolved. I'm not trying to start an argument about that. It's just my opinion (and that's all it is) that it was more 'fun' around here and easier to get to know the 'players' when we weren't divided by the Regional Forums. Lots of other people feel differently. I can live with that.

I wasn't actually talking about the regional sub-forums, and I agree with you that that dead horse has done been beat enough. I mentioned it because that's where I spend the majority of my time these days. My argument pertains equally, and perhaps more so, to the top-level forums.

As far as getting to know someone, I idly note that even though we agreed to try and work out our differences on Yahoo, you've not completed the "add" request. Sad really. I've never seen the reason for all the animosity.

Hmm. I'm not one to air dirty laundry in public unless it's for comedic effect. I'll pop off a pm to you. Strange that you're getting "animosity" from me though, since you're one of the few people I go out of my way with to have a civil discussion. I think you've got some fundamentally wrong-headed and outdated notions of how a community should be run, but I think I keep a pretty civil tongue about it.

[rebeccajo 14]

*shrugs*

You and I both know that the Regional Forums will not be dissolved. I'm not trying to start an argument about that. It's just my opinion (and that's all it is) that it was more 'fun' around here and easier to get to know the 'players' when we weren't divided by the Regional Forums. Lots of other people feel differently. I can live with that.

I wasn't actually talking about the regional sub-forums, and I agree with you that that dead horse has done been beat enough. I mentioned it because that's where I spend the majority of my time these days. My argument pertains equally, and perhaps more so, to the top-level forums.

As far as getting to know someone, I idly note that even though we agreed to try and work out our differences on Yahoo, you've not completed the "add" request. Sad really. I've never seen the reason for all the animosity.

Hmm. I'm not one to air dirty laundry in public unless it's for comedic effect. I'll pop off a pm to you. Strange that you're getting "animosity" from me though, since you're one of the few people I go out of my way with to have a civil discussion. I think you've got some fundamentally wrong-headed and outdated notions of how a community should be run, but I think I keep a pretty civil tongue about it.

Well at least it got your attention.

[mox 298]

Well at least it got your attention.

A pm would also have gotten my attention.