Rete

Short and to the point -- Jim got the extended I-551 stamp in his passport this morning.

Long and drawn out story is as follows:

The Congresswoman’s liaison personally went to INS yesterday morning to obtain a letter of appointment for Jim to go to NYC INS to obtain the stamp. This was necessary apparently because not all the phone lines at INS are up and running as yet. The appointment was scheduled for this morning at 10 a.m. and because the liaison did not have access to a fax machine, we arranged for me to meet with him at the Harvard Club in New York for the exchange. Jim’s commander took his word for it and arranged for a 24 hour pass off base and Jim came home last night.

We put together all his documentation and I typed up a list of questions that I wanted answered. Off he went with me into the city at 7:30 this morning. We parted company at Grand Central Terminal with Jim going south towards “ground zero� and me heading north to the green vista of Central Park South. The following is his recounting of events at NYC INS.

Security is very tight. He was thoroughly searched (and no, not a body search). His briefcase was emptied, his cell phone checked, he had to remove all outer metal objects, i.e. watch, etc. before going through the metal detector. He had to show his appointment letter and photo identification before he was allowed through the first checkpoint. (BTW he had to show identification before being allowed onto “ground two� after coming off the subway.) At the second INS checkpoint the validity of his appointment letter was questioned and he had to once again show photo identification. At this point Jim said he had had enough of the bullshit and whipped out his military identification at which the guard said “Yes Sir, go straight through.�

His appointment letter was headed “Congressional Intervention� and he was to go to the fifth floor. At the fifth floor, Jim found the doors there to be guarded and locked. In order to enter, you once again had to show identification and your appointment letter. Since he was early they asked him to go to the sixth floor and have a cup of coffee and to come back in an hour.

The person he was suppose to see was not yet in the office and another gentleman took care of him. He stamped his passport and it is good until 8/10/02. Here are the questions he asked and the answers he was given:

1. Since the green card was never received should a new I-89 be completed?
Answer: No. The reason the green card was not received is because the I-89 was not sent to Vermont for processing until JULY, 2001

2. When do we file for the removal of the conditions? Since approval was 8/11/00 do we apply for removal on May 11, 2002 or follow the DAO Marshall’s paperwork/instructions and remove conditions on June 28, 2002.
Answer: May 11, 2002 and apply even if you don’t have the green card.

So folks, that is the most recent sequel to the Wilson saga. Jim and I are happy that this is at least behind us and that we have answers to questions that needed answering. I cannot stress strongly enough that if you are a recipient of an I-551 in your stamp weeks or months after your initial AOS interview that you REMIND THEM ABOUT THE I-89. Also if you don’t get your green card in the timeframe that they told, you should write the person that interviewed you directly to ascertain what the problem is.

Thanks for your support throughout all of this. And for the private offers of assistance.


Very OT:

If I could get a handle on the fear and depression the recent events have put in me, I might once again be able to handle answering questions in a friendlier mode. Right now it is very very difficult to read the newspaper and know that a terrorist attack by bio or chemical means is only a few moments away. Living under this threat does take its toll on you even if you go about the course of your day in as normal a manner as possible. Being told to set up a survival kit and make arrangements and destinations of a single person outside the area who will be your phone contact so that the whereabouts of all family members can be handled by one person is unnerving. But you go on living and trying to live as normally as possible.

While Jim was here this morning, we signed powers of attorney designating my daughter in Florida to handle everything if we both are killed. Jim and I also talked about what we wanted done if one or both of us contract any of the diseases if this possibility comes to be.

I envy those of you that live far from a major city and do have not to go through this first hand. It is so easy for someone to discount the fears as being unreal when they are not living it. Believe me, it is real and it is a possibility and it is frightening.

Politically correct or not: God Bless

Rita

Andy Platt

Thank goodness he eventually got through this stage of the mess ... hopefully the GC
will come soon.

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We were just talking about this at lunchtime. Without wanting to worry people too
much, yesterday's Greyhound trouble shows that madmen can strike anywhere, big town
or small, in flight or on the road.

I don't know if I'm stupid or immune to it but I feel no less safe living a couple of
miles away from the Pentagon than I did on September 10th. Que sera, sera.

Andy.

--
I'm not really here - it's just your warped imagination.

Alvena Ferreira

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Arnaldo says every day that he thinks we are safest out here in Sticksville. Hang
in there and keep the faith. We know that our freedom was bought and continues to
be bought with a price. It is our sincere hope that you all do not end up being
the payor.

Alvena
--
I am not a lawyer and this is not legal advice; this is my personal opinion, posted
for the purpose of discussion only.
---
K-1 FAQ: http://www.k1faq.com Jonathan's K-1 pages: http://alixtcat.50megs.com/ Doc
Steen's Marriage Visa Information Pages:
http://www.mindspring.com/~docsteen/...o/visainfo.htm

M1nn0w

Geez Rita, I just answered your last post -- wishing you both luck. Just like me to
be two days behind Congratulations. I am glad that you are both through this
stage. Hopefully you will have suffered enough during this period to allow you to
breeze through the rest. I understand your fear and can only mouth the same tired
platitudes. I've been there. It's not easy. The really good thing is that you and Jim
can handle
it. You're doing it now. Each one of us has a timeline. When it comes time to reach
the end, it will happen and nothing we do will stop it. Be happy. You deserve it.

Johnny & Deb

Rete

Thanks John and Deb ... yes we are handling it and will continue to do so. I miss Jim and if this has done anything for us, it has helped us to realize that whatever problems we had are minor problems and workable. I am going away this weekend and will be with my Dad the weekend after. I've made plans to meeting a girlfriend in White Plains for dinner on the 11th. Life goes on and I go on with it too.

Alvena and Arnaldo and Andy - The 11th of September destroyed innocence and made us aware of the fact that nowhere in this country or for that matter in the world is one safe from the cruelty or vengence of another. I never felt unsafe in my city or my hometown. I never feared murder, rape, muggings, break-ins. I practiced safety precautions like a sensible person would. Just as you all do no matter where you live. And in that regard, even today, I still feel safe. But the fear that is real and alive in many of my fellow New Yorkers is a fear that is too real to ignore. This fear if realized will affect not just myself but those I love and care about. For myself, I am not so afraid, although I don't wish to die yet. But I fear most for my children and niece and nephew. They are young and I want them to live long and happy and fruitful lives. Oh well, what will be, will be. Until the end comes, I plan on living life and doing my best to hold the fear at bay.

Rita

Paulgani

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If I were you, I would be concerned. I believe the principle goal of the terrorists
was to get the world's attention to their cause. They accomplished that. They have
also accomplished igniting the wrath of our mostly unaffected government, which will
no doubt set back their cause. Next time, they won't make the same mistake twice.
Think of a smuggled nuclear weapon in downtown DC. With most of our government gone,
I don't think the replacements are going to give a rat's ass about continued
sanctions against Iraq, our bases in Saudi Arabia, supporting the corrupt Egyptian
government, or if the Israelis and Palestinians want to kill each other over a tiny
bit of land. I think by then Americans would be thrilled to see the Arab world go to
war with each other - hell, we'll help by selling weapons to all sides - the
moderates or fundamentalists of all flavors. When the dust settles a few decades
later, there won't be a significant Arab world left to concern ourselves about.

Hell, why wait. Let's just *give* nukes right now to Iran, Iraq, the Northern
Alliance, the Taliban, Pakistan, etc... We won't have to lift a finger, and we'll be
safe. Remember, it's not the U.S. they truly hate. They *really* just hate each
other. The terrorists are just upset at America because we help their enemies. Well,
we can help them too!

Paulgani

Alvena Ferreira

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Were you joking, perhaps? Do you not understand that political humor is not allowed
right now?<grin>

alvena

Jb

Rete wrote:
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Contact details are a good idea, terrorism or not. But, how can you "know that a
terrorist attack by bio or chemical means is only a few moments away?" This, it seems
to me, is the silliness of the American media blowing all out of proportion the
potential for this type of attack. Bombs are cheaper and easier to build.

I'm American and soon to return to the states but after living here in the UK I don't
plan to watch US TV news anymore. It's worthless as a real news source and the
newspapers are just as bad. Even the snippets of US TV shown here are ridiculous. I
am not saying that prudence and planning are not important. I am saying that most of
the reports are probably false and contain too much scare mongering to no good end.

Alvena Ferreira

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Bombs are cheaper and easier to build.
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Let's see...cheap and easy....

The NYC disaster involved years of planning, probably hundreds of thousands of
dollars (I mean, consider the terrorist cells that we have not found yet who were
also financed in this endeavor), and all of the nitty-gritty "casing" the flight
terminals for which one was the easiest, and all of those details involved in that.
This does not sound cheap nor easy to me. Of course, I could be wrong.

alvena

Rete

By all means bury your head in the sand. Tell people that their feelings and fears are groundless and silly because you think it so. For over 6,000 death was but moments away when they went to that Monday morning. Live here, be a part of the aftermath, live it and breath it daily. Look at the horizon and see the cloud of smoke and taste the abestos in your throat. Look into the eyes of a survivor.

As for cheaper and easier, bin Laden has over $300 million alone. His cohorts and allies have as much or more when totaled. The planning of this attack was years in the making and took "moments" to execute. A vial of poison in a water system will take only moments.

For myself, I am tired of listening to people, such as yourself, who discount the media and the feelings of people such as myself as hysterics and loonies. There is nothing of either quality in myself, my family, my friends or my newscasters. Because the rest of Europe is low keyed about terrorist activities in Ireland, Britian and other areas does not mean the activities are any less diabilitating or real to those in the middle of it. Nor does the death count lessen because only 5 minutes of newstime is allotted to the event instead of 5 days or 5 weeks. We lost over 6,000 people jb. There are towns in England and the US and in Canada that have less than 6,000 people in it.

If you feel safer downplaying the activities of September 11th in YOUR country, then feel safer. But refrain from mouthing off to those of us who feel that no amount of downplaying of that event or the possible events to come will make the future acts of terrorism less real. I am not an ostrich with my head in the sand. That ostrich is more likely to get his assed kicked than anything else.

Soap box away ... and bear in mind that this post is my PERSONAL OPINION and need not be shared by you or anyone else.

Rita

Onigiri

[usenetquote2]> > From: Rete <[email protected]> I envy those of you that live far from a[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > major city and do have not to go through this first hand. It is so easy for[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > someone to discount the fears as being unreal when they are not living it.[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > Believe me, it is real and it is a possibility and it is frightening.[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> >[/usenetquote2]
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Sticksville. Most big city dwellers and especially Newyorkers are given a
proportionately more exciting life. If any big city person is nervous about mass
terrorism, all they have to do is to move to some Sticksville for a month and
experience the life. Slow death due to boredom could turn out to be exactly what a
few city folks want. Given this choice of Sticksville, most others might prefer the
blessed release that only a sudden fiery death could bring Right ?

Betastar

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Thank you, Rita. And on that note, I have decided to NOT go to Tokyo on Monday.

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I personally think the US Government and Media are now lying to us in an attempt to
keep us calm. Sounds paranoid, sure - but on the same day an airplane goes down
between Isreal and Ukraine (ONLY the US Gov't says it was shot down accidently...), a
man has a case of Anthrax in Florida (inhaled on a camping trip in NC? They're not
really telling us much about this one, are they? Barely reported!) and hemorraghic
fever outbreaks on the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan (a tropical disease in a
place with a 4-year drought?)

Sorry - I ain't buying it anymore.

Like Rita, I saw my home destroyed. I saw the skyline I took for granted my entire
life (I'm only 30) crumble to the ground. And now when I see the pictures, still, 3
weeks later, I feel the emptiness in the skyline like a hole in my soul.

Everyone will react differently. Some stronger than others. Some in surprising ways.

The important thing to learn from all of this is tolerance. Intolerance is what
started this - don't continue intolerance due to people's reactions.

I guess that's all I want to say, really, other than "I'm with you, Rita!"

Betsy

Jb

Rete wrote:
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I never said any of that, nor did I imply it.

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I never disputed any fact of the attack itself although whether bin laden has all
that money is debatable. I don't think anyone really knows.

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I never discounted your feelings or said you were a loony. I'm sorry you
misinterpreted what I wrote. I did, however, wonder whether some media outlets aren't
part of the problem by creating hysteria. That's all. I still think it (the media)
does this, in both the US and UK to a lesser extent, and probably always will.

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The story here (in the UK) seems to be that since Britain has had to endure terrorist
attacks for many years now, principally due to the IRA, that things are less "low
keyed" here, particularly in airports. Many commentators are say that US airports
ought to now have levels of security that have apparently existed in Europe for years
(I haven't seen that much difference but there have always been armed police in
Heathrow since I've been travelling there).

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Here again you misunderstood what I wrote. My country is the US since I'm a USC and
my post did not amount to "mouthing off" either, you just happened to read it that
way. I have no personal disagreement with what you wrote, only the media's handling
the events. You should not act as if I did.

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Of course. And what I posted was my opinion.

followups set to: talk.politics.misc since I couldn't find a better group

ms_bhon

I never really noticed much difference between UK airport security and the security here... my husband pointed out, that yes, there were armed guards there- I probably walked right by them on my way to the airport Body Shop and Accessorize, and that the people working the security cue are well(at least better paid), adequetely trained professionals, unlike the cursory minimum wage security staff you see in most airports on this side of the pond.
As far as being nervous and on edge... yes, I've been that way lately. I'm going to a baseball game tonite anyway (Cal Ripken's 2nd to last), and still plan on flying back to the UK to spend Xmas with Paul's family...albeit with white knuckles this time.

Rita- hang in there. I've got close friends up in NYC, one of whom was 3 blocks away when the second plane hit. You are undoubtedly more affected than the rest of us, and we all are, nonetheless. But I'm gonna do my best to enjoy my life as best as I can regardless. That doesn't mean I'm not scared...

Rete

jb

Sorry if I misinterpreted your post but truly that is how I did read it. And yes, I did catch that you are USC due to return home soon.

Truce!

Rita

PS I remember using the Frankfurt airport in 1989 and being unnerved to see the airport armed with guards and automatic weapons. But I did feel safe although was amazed that when we disembarked, we did not have to go through any customs or immigration checkpoint. Walked from the plane to the baggage area and out the door to the train. Never stopped or questioned. Now that I found very odd. Especially since when we entered Austria a few days later by train we did go through a customs/immigration checkpoint and the same with a bus trip into Switzerland.