[Information re Public Charge]
To: Samantha Deshommes, Office of Policy and Strategy, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of Homeland Security, 20 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, D C 20529-29140
[Link to submit comments online]
Re: DHS Docket No. USCIS-2010-0012
I am writing to express my opposition to this proposed rule change.
[Okay, fine. That’s the standard stuff. But what should I say? “Write from your place of strength,” an immigration advocate coached a group of us letter-writers recently.
What’s mine? Do I note that because of the fear these proposed changes are causing, providers of greater-Boston health care services note a 5 to 10% drop in people coming to their clinics? So, for example, people aren’t getting flu shots? And how that makes me very nervous to get on public transportation or shop at my neighborhood supermarket? Or how I am fearful how these changes, designed to instill fear and insecurity, will adversely effect the wonderful, upbeat people, most of them from other countries, who work at my mother’s long-term care facility?
Absolutely not! Public Charge isn’t about white, privileged me or my white, privileged family! It’s about the Trump Administration rewriting Emma Lazarus‘s poem to read, “We only want you if you’re young, healthy, wealthy, and speak English.”
No, my place of strength is the same place as so many of those who these proposed changes would exclude: I am a grandmother. I know how my family needs me. I know how my family relies on me. I know how the stories I tell my grandchildren, my “These are some of the men and women who came before you; here’s what they thought was important” narratives anchor my family. I know how grandparents’ (free) childcare makes it possible for both parents to work. Grandparents cast a long shadow in ways I can speak to. Grandparents make this country work in ways few understand or acknowledge.
But I better get to work. These letters, which can be as short as 250 words, are due by December 10, 2018.]
Dearest Patricia,
Well, hello, there, Patricia, and greetings and salutations to you and for very especially for you and to you FOR ALWAYS, my so, so very FOR ALWAYS awesomely precious and dearly special soul sistahfriend Christian Quaker woman who you’re FOR ALWAYS so, so very much! <3 <:) WOW, Patricia!!!! WOW here!!! What a very compelling, beautiful, brilliantly beautiful blog post article here with such a vitally urgent, important, and necessary clarion call, sister!!! It IS very much indeed very urgent, vitally important, and necessary that we all write these letters to express our strong opposition to the proposed rule change. The awesome persons who would be very egregiously and adversely affected were this change to be made along with all of the vile hatred, racism, oppression, and discrimination which they face are all factors impacting them being absolutely appalling and outrageous, my dear, dearest, darling, precious sister and friend, Patricia!!!! I so love what you very aptly and sweetly share about how you as a grandparent and other grandparents like with these dear people have something very precious, special, and irreplaceable to offer here and that with the darling people so harmed and victimized that among them are grandparents as well who have so much of an sweetly abiding and enduring positive legacy to give to their grandchildren like with the stories they tell them just as your absolutely fabulous grandmother told you and your brother when you two were little children. My so, so very absolutely AWESOME sisterfriend, Patricia, I just so, so very much love and cherish YOU, and also how you've been so marvelously open on sharing on your being white, and privileged, and how your family is white, and privileged, my so, so very FOR ALWAYS right on, wondrously wonderful soul sistahfriend white woman who you're FOR ALWAYS so, so very much!!!!!! <3 <:) My friend, you've such keen insight into all of this and you've just gone straight to this black woman's very heart and spirit as you're always so open to looking at your white privilege and aiming to be even more aware in your learning, healing, and growing toward more anti-racist racial awareness!!!!!! I just absolutely LOVE how you've shared with such earnestness and striving as to how you want to be even more connected to and a part of your wider Beloved Community with all of your human family and community being as you are a whole bunch a very steadfast and loyal, effective, productively proactive, and efficient white anti-racist woman and ally!!!!!!! < 🙂 <3 Sistah, I love your splendid link on Emma Lazarus and her very welcoming poem just as I so love all of the great links which you've here as usual as ever as always once again very graciously and generously featured and included here. I just so love all of this very empowering blog post article in all of its grandly great entirety!!!!! Sistahfriend, in tenth grade I took a Vocal Ensemble class for the entire year. In the Spring of my tenth grade year I auditioned for my high school's singing group. The song I chose to sing for my audition was the song with all of the very words of our insightful Emma Lazarus's inclusive poem. With that audition I sang the words twice. I was successful and got into the singing group!!!!!! When I was a very little girl my singing voice was a soprano but as I became older when I was in my teens I was an Alto 2 and I'm even more of an Alto with my singing voice now. I can't reach those high notes anymore! LOL! <:) Sister, God so, so very much loves and cherishes YOU A WHOLE LOT AND A WHOLE BUNCH FOR ALWAYS AND SO DO I, TOO, JUST SO, SO VERY MUCH LOVE AND CHERISH YOU A WHOLE LOT AND A WHOLE BUNCH FOR ALWAYS!!!!! <3 <:) By the time you'll read this it'll be Sunday and the First Sunday of Advent so Happy Advent and please have a superbly super Sunday, a wondrously wonderful rest of your weekend and week ahead, and may all of your very days be just the very greatest and the very best JUST LIKE YOU ARE AS WELL, Patricia!!!!!! <3 <:)
My so, so very FOR ALWAYS awesomely special and dearly precious soul sistahfriend Christian Quaker white woman who you're For Always so, so very much, Patricia, YOURS FOR ALWAYS soul sistahfriend Christian black woman in the very great spirit of unity and solidarity, Sherry Gordon <3 <:)
I would have loved to her you sing Emma Lazurus’s words, Sherry.