In President Trump’s First Week, ACLU Hands Him First Stinging Rebuke
By Anthony D. Romero
This is a remarkable day. When Donald Trump was elected president, we promised that if he tried to implement his unconstitutional and un-American policies that we would take him to court. We did that today. And we won.
Yesterday President Trump signed an executive order that suspended resettlement of Syrian refugees indefinitely, suspended all other refugee resettlement for 120 days, and banned the entry of nationals from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia, and Yemen for 90 days. All seven countries are predominately Muslim countries. We have no doubt that the motivation behind the executive order was discriminatory. This was a Muslim ban wrapped in a paper-thin national security rationale.
The executive order went into effect immediately and so did its destructive intent. At John F. Kennedy International Airport last night, Hameed Khalid Darweesh arrived and was immediately detained. Darweesh worked as interpreter for the Army’s 101st Airborne Division and, according to Brandon Friedman, a platoon leader in Iraq, saved countless U.S. service members’ lives. We don’t know how many other refugees and foreign nationals with green cards or visas might have been detained when they tried to make their way into the United States today, but we intend to find out. We are asking anyone with any information to get in touch with the ACLU.
The ACLU with other organizations immediately sprang into action and challenged Trump’s executive order in court as violating the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses of the U.S. Constitution. We immediately got a hearing and argued our case. At around 9 p.m., Federal District Court Judge Ann M. Donnelly issued a stay, blocking President Trump’s discriminatory policy from taking effect and preventing refugees and immigrants from being deported. She did not rule on the constitutionality of the order, but for now, the men and women who would have been deported are safe. When I and staff attorney Lee Gelernt emerged from the courthouse, we were met with a sea of people cheering and chanting.
I cannot express how humbling and inspiring this moment is.
The United States is a nation governed by the rule of law and not the iron will of one man. President Trump now has learned that we are democratic republic where the powers of government are not dictatorial. They are limited. The courts are the bulwark of our democracy that protects individual rights and guards against the overreaching of an administration that confuses its will for the American public’s.
Tonight was one of the most incredible experiences of my life, one that demonstrates that the people united will never be divided. This is only the beginning. This is merely the first skirmish in a long battle to vigorously defend the Bill of Rights from the authoritarian designs of the Trump administration.
Anthony Romero is the Executive Director of the ACLU
A federal judge granted the American Civil Liberties Union’s request for a nationwide temporary injunction that will block the deportation of all people stranded in U.S. airports under President Trump’s new Muslim ban.
The ACLU, along with several groups, filed a lawsuit this morning on behalf of two Iraqi men who were en route to the United States on immigrant visas when President Trump issued an executive order banning many Muslims from entering the country.
One of the men, Hameed Khalid Darweesh, was traveling on an Iraqi special Immigrant Visa and had worked as an electrical engineer and contractor for the U.S. government from 2003–2010. Brandon Friedman, a former Obama administration official who commanded a platoon during the invasion of Iraq, said Mr. Darweesh had worked for him as an interpreter. He said on Twitter yesterday that Mr. Darweesh “spent years keeping U.S. soldiers alive in combat in Iraq.”
The other, Haider Sameer Abdulkhaleq Alshawi, had been granted a Follow to Join Visa. His wife and 7-year-old son are lawful permanent residents residing in Houston, Texas, and were eagerly awaiting his arrival. Mr. Alshawi’s son has not seen his father for three years.
“President Trump’s war on equality is already taking a terrible human toll. This ban cannot be allowed to continue,” said Omar Jadwat, director of the ACLU’s Immigrants’ Rights Project.
Immigration officials at John F. Kenndy Airport said there was no other reason than President Trump’s executive order to detain the men.
Why Trump’s Executive Order on Refugees Violates the Establishment Clause
By David Cole
According to the Supreme Court, “the clearest command of the Establishment Clause is that one religious denomination cannot be officially preferred over another.” But that command is apparently not clear enough for President Donald Trump. On Friday he signed an executive order on refugees that imposes a selective ban on immigration from seven Muslim-majority countries as well as establishes preferential treatment for refugees seeking asylum who are identified with “minority religions” in their country of origin. In case there was any doubt about the latter provision’s intent, Trump told Christian Broadcast News that it was intended to give priority to “Christians” seeking asylum over “Muslims.”
In both respects, the executive order violates the “clearest command of the Establishment Clause.” First, as I developed in an earlier post, the Constitution bars the government from targeting Islam. One of the lowest of many low moments in Donald Trump’s presidential campaign was his December 2015 call for a “total and complete shutdown” of Muslim immigration. The proposal treated as presumptively suspect a religion practiced by about 1.6 billion people worldwide, nearly a quarter of the globe’s population. Trump soon retreated to talk of “extreme vetting,” but he never gave up his focus on the religion of Islam. Friday’s executive orders are of a piece with his many anti-Muslim campaign promises.
As I wrote earlier, one of the critical questions with respect to the validity of executive action challenged under the Establishment Clause is its intent and effect. If intended to disfavor a particular religion, it violates the Establishment Clause. Here, there is copious “smoking gun” evidence that the president intended to disfavor Muslims on the basis of their religion. It includes:
- On December 7, 2015, the Trump campaign issued a press release stating that “Donald J. Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country’s representatives can figure out what is going on.”
- In July 2016, he effectively admitted that his revamping of the proposal was designed to target Muslims without expressly saying so. In an interview on “Meet the Press: with NBC’s Chuck Todd,” Trump said he would target immigrants from certain countries, but he resisted the suggestion that this was a retreat from his proposal to target Muslims. “I actually don’t think it’s a rollback. In fact, you could say it’s an expansion… People were so upset when I used the word Muslim. Oh, you can’t use the word Muslim. Remember this. And I’m OK with that, because I’m talking territory instead of Muslim.”
- In November 2015, Trump told NBC News he “would certainly implement” a database to track Muslims in the United States. “I would certainly implement that,” he said. “Absolutely.” Would Muslims be legally required to register? “They have to be — they have to be,” Trump replied.
- In March 2016, Trump said, “Frankly, look, we’re having problems with the Muslims, and we’re having problems with Muslims coming into the country.”
Nor is this mere campaign rhetoric. In signing the executive order on Friday, Trump pledged to “keep radical Islamic terrorists out of the United States of America.” Not “terrorists.” Not “radical terrorists.” But only “radical Islamic terrorists.” Of course we should be keeping terrorists out, but why limit our concern to those of one faith?
Second, the flipside of the order, equally invalid, is that it is intended, as Trump candidly admitted on Christian Broadcast News, to favor Christians fleeing persecution over others. Here, too, Trump has violated the Establishment Clause’s “clearest command.” Christians suffering persecution deserve asylum, but so do Muslims suffering persecution and Buddhists and Jews and Sikhs and Zoroastrians. There is no legitimate reason to favor Christians over all others who are persecuted for their beliefs.
The executive order, of course, does not say in express terms that it is favoring Christians and disfavoring Muslims. But Trump is the signatory, and he has said so explicitly. Moreover, even absent that evidence of Trump’s invidious intent, the order on its face favors refugees from “minority religions” over those from “majority religions” in any given country. That distinction independently violates the principle of denominational neutrality, even if in some countries it means we will be privileging Christians and in other countries Muslims.
The law struck down in Larson v. Valente did not name any particular denominations, but it simply imposed differential registration and reporting requirements on religions that received more than half of their total contributions from members and those that did not. Even though the law did not single out a specific religion by name, it failed to treat all denominations the same and therefore violated the Establishment Clause. Thus, even if Donald Trump hadn’t admitted his unconstitutional purpose on TV, the executive order would be unconstitutional.
The notion that it is improper to use religions litmus tests at the border has wide appeal. When Trump initially proposed his Muslim ban in December 2015, Sen. Pat Leahy (D-Vt.) introduced a resolution expressing “the sense of the Senate that the United States must not bar individuals from entering into the United States based on their religion, as such action would be contrary to the fundamental principles on which this nation was founded.” It passed 96-4. (Jeff Sessions, Trump’s nominee for Attorney General, was one of the four holdouts.) It will be interesting to see whether the Republicans continue to oppose religious discrimination now that it’s the official policy and practice of their president, not just the proposal of a a maverick candidate.
The ACLU has already filed suit to challenge the executive order, working with the International Refugee Assistance Project at the Urban Justice Center, the National Immigration Law Center, Yale Law School’s Jerome N. Frank Legal Services Organization, and the firm Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton. The suit was filed on behalf of two Iraqi refugees stopped at John F. Kennedy International Airport on the authority of the executive order, and it argues that the order violates due process, equal protection, international law, and immigration law. We are also preparing an Establishment Clause challenge. As we told President Trump two days after he was elected, if he pursues the many unconstitutional measures he proposed during the campaign, “we’ll see you in court.”
I was born in America. Ten years ago I married a Brazilian. She is third generation Italian and very Catholic. We too were vetted across three years for her “green card.” And we also entered the USA at New York’s JFK international airport to be escorted to immigrations secondary processing area where we were for 5 and a half hours. (The flight from Brazil was 12 hours.) Since then my wife has been there so often she has befriended some of the officers. My first impression was the feelings of hostility (especially post 9-11), the un-Americanism of it all, and then the change to more friendly interactions. This “back-room” is a place mostly only immigrants go to. I am glad you all finally know about it!
Kroop1
It nothing to with 9-11 . This is the standard procedure which was in place before 9-11 . I am living in USA since 1982. It was a hell when I got off plane with my family from the West Germany in JFK in November 1982 If I would have money and could go back to Germany or even to communist Poland ( I had one way ticket and passport ) I would . When I saw how the immigration Gestapo was segregating immigrants in JFK than I thought they segregating Jews in concentration camp to the gas chamber and to work . Arbeit Macht Frei
Kroop1
Thank you for sharing your story and most specifically your observation about the feelings of hostility and the “un-Americanism” of it all. I would like to add to your observations my own. Our current practices and procedures involve long delays, great expense, add to our paranoia and fear and do not make us any safer. My experiences at airports are as follows:
1. When my mother was in her 90’s, wheelchair bound, and extremely frail she had been staying with me to recover from surgery but wanted to rejoin her husband in Washington State. At the airport she was separated out for more extensive search, not only of her luggage, but also a body search. This involved taking off two layers of clothing, her shoes, which she could not manage herself thus necessitating the help of me and one of the TSA’s on the first search. We then got to the boarding area where the entire process was again repeated only I was not allowed to help. Thus my mother was subjected to a physically challenging search twice, once without me be allowed to help. She was exhausted and confused and when I asked why this was necessary, I was told that the numbers for who to subject to this “extreme searching” were randomly generated.
2. About three years later, my children and I were leaving the country for Spain. My son at the time, being half Turkish was very swarthy, stood at about 5’10”. He was having difficulty finding his passport. The TSA asked me how old he was and when I said 15 waved us through without any confirmation. That certainly made me feel safer !
3. I was allowed to inadvertently carry a hunting knife in a personal bag on a flight from Sacramento to Seattle. I did not even know I was carrying it until it was picked up on routine screening of my carry on bag at SeaTac prior to my return. The knife and I parted company amidst a laughing group of TSA agents who appreciated my bewilderment and embarrassment. Had I been a terrorist, it might not have been quite so funny.
I bring these events up to demonstrate the erratic nature of the lengthy and expensive processes that we believe are keeping us safe. Now we seem to be adding to this the capricious, ill considered and likely unconstitutional directives of our current president. There is a vast difference between feeling safer, and actually being safer. It appears that the current occupant of the White House fails to make this distinction.
I’ve been a supporter of the ACLU my entire adult life. I made an additional contribution today. I urge others who are disgusted by and ashamed of the new administration’s unconstitutional and sadistic actions against Muslim and refugee children and families to do the same.
Eric
Is not too difficult to figure out who do you support without yours announcement. You should look first how sadistic are Muslims are against each other and the non Muslims in the Middle East countries like Syria , Yemen , Iraq , Afghanistan before you make outrageous statements about new administration sadistic action . You are being selective like President Trump is in this matter. Saudi Arabia and other extremely rich Arab countries can provide shelter for the refugees from Syria , Iraq and others countries . Why Saudi Arabia won’t do it . I am immigrant myself who escaped oppression but I am for to provide the shelter for the refugees from the war thorn countries with fair share with others and without fear that I will go to Shopping Mall or New Years Eve Party and I will go to Heaven or Hell with hundred of others because American government was very merciful without assurance of safety for it is own citizens. America is the country which has no refugee camps and shelters for refugees . By law the refugee has to go to other country and get sponsor in United States after the proper screening to get permission to enter the country . It would probably easier to have refugee camps and take care of refuges from the war thorn countries and process the here. This is very complicated issue . Is not just Trump . Obama administration was not anxious to provide entry to the USA from the refuges camps in Europe . The refugees camps in Europe are full and overcrowded . Bushes and Obama’s administration created enormous chaos in the Middle E ast and the President Trump doing what he was promising during his presidential campaign. This is new.
Jerry
It would seem to me that far from new, the current president is repeating the lethal and shameful actions of previous administrations.
“https://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10007094”
“Out of fear that the Nazis could smuggle spies and saboteurs in with refugees, immigration officials tightened visa policies for immigrants and non-immigrants. “
We now have a president who ascended to the White House largely by provoking paranoia and fear. But what is the actual statistical risk of being killed by a terrorist in the US ?
http://www.vox.com/world/2017/1/27/14412420/terrorism-muslims-america-islam-trump
There have been zero fatal terror attacks on U.S. soil since 1975 by immigrants from the seven Muslim-majority countries President Donald Trump targeted with immigration bans on Friday.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/no-terror-attacks-muslim-ban-7-countries-trump_us_588b5a1fe4b0230ce61b4b93
Acknowledging that Vox and the Huffington post are not definitive publications with regard to public safety and terrorism, I would also recommend:
https://www.start.umd.edu/pubs/START_AmericanTerrorismDeaths_FactSheet_Oct2015.pdf
This fact sheet documents 59 total deaths in the United States attributed to terrorist activity since 9/11, or in the past 15 years. Lets compare that with the estimated number of Syrian deaths over the same time interval related to war.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/…/a-staggering-new-death-toll-for-syrias–war-47000.
The most recent estimate since the onset of the war in Syria is 470,000 deaths. And so, because of our fear generated by 59 US deaths, we refuse to shelter thousands of Syrians. I believe that history is going to judge us in this time as harshly as many of us judge our own government for not offering sanctuary to the Jews in WWII. And that judgement will be well deserved.
Tia
This is nothing new . The problem that USA does not maintain refugee camps . You are immigrant , illegal or legal or you in detention center or in prison . This is hard to process people from other countries in massive exodus . Syria is devastated with so much suffering and the rich Arabs countries don’t a give damn about their Muslim brothers and sisters and children from Syria or Iraq . Turkey has 3 million refuges . European refugee camps are overcrowded and refugees are living in some camps in terrible condition . I would like find out how many refugees were sponsored by the Islamic Centers from around the Sacramento including from Davis and Lodi (prior the Trump ‘s administration ) https://www.salatomatic.com/sub/QE8Gfd3yNC
I understand your arguments but as you see yourself US administration or legislators were raising hell not first time using immigrants in politics . This is is old stuff since 1900 at least. Obama sold to Saudi weaponry for 115 millions to slaughter Yemeni Shia’s Muslims which are being backing up by Iran . Politics Tia and this how American empire is policing the world and we love this country as Russian likes Russia and their Putin saying . Putin is SOB bit he is our SOB
Not only that, but countries not covered by the executive order include Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, all with strong ties to terrorist deaths in the U.S., including 9/11. What else do the latter countries have in common? They all have ties to Trump’s business interests. Can you spell corruption?
This is nothing to do with Trump and corruption. These countries are America’s rich friends and ally in Middle East . They getting lot of the military supplies and Saudi Arabia is your price of the gasoline in the gas station .
Eric
And as posted on today’s other relevant thread, in December the current president admitted that he had a conflict of interest as regards Muslim dominant Turkey because of his properties in Istanbul. Now he claims these are not a conflict of interest because he is president. You couldn’t make this stuff up if you tried.
Tia
What the Trump ‘s business or property in Turkey has to do with his Executive Order on Refugees ?
Jerry – For someone who constantly says “follow the money,” I can’t believe you are so naive (or intentionally looking the other way) on this one. Just follow Trump’s money. Even you will be able to connect the dots.
Jerry
“What the Trump ‘s business or property in Turkey has to do with his Executive Order on Refugees ?”
In my opinion, probably a great deal. Turkey otherwise would meet his purported criteria for a country subject to the ban. Muslim dominant population and the target of multiple terrorist attacks within the past few years. Besides, he himself admitted that it was a conflict of interest as I stated. The interview isn’t hard to find. Just Google it or go through my references.
Tia
It nothing to do with refugees . Turky is NATO member and USA ally. I don’t care about Trump’s property in Turkey . He had it before he became the President of the United States . This Congress and Senate business to deal with Trump’s conflict of interest. Don’t dilute the refugees matter and Trump’s orders / His property won’t hurt or help refugees .
Eric
This is irrelevant in refugees crisis and the President Trump’s orders . Try to focus on the refugees suffering and which country should help them and why . The United States has a different immigration law than other countries . The best way is to get here illegally from the South . From Europe is not so easy and people are staying in refugees camps for 2-5 years.
Jerry
Respectfully, I do not see it as irrelevant at all. I see the oversees investments of our presidents as highly relevant to what countries we will and will not accept both refugees and immigrants from. In December, then president elect Trump also seems to have seen the relevance from his interview. This is precisely why the presidents who preceded him have put their assets into blind trusts.
Of course our national policies differ from those of other nations. Each nation is free to set their own policy so of course there will be differences. That does not mean that ours is better, keeps us safer, or is more humane. I would argue none of the above. What tends to keep us safer is geography, not inhumane policy. I believe that as a nation with tremendous resources, we should help these refugees. We were instrumental in creating this monumental mess and in my opinion are morally obligated to help these people. Of course, I would feel that we are morally obligated to help even if we had had nothing to do with creating the mess. Why ? Because we have the resources to do so.
Tia
You don’t know and you don’t appreciate what do you have . This the problem . If such worry and compassionate than sponsor one family from refugee camp in Europe . You are doctor , you can afford . Writing on DV is cheap .
Nice ‘hook’, Jerry… on one hand you have someone who likes to say what everyone should do and looks to Davis to “set the example” as an individual community, and yet…
We’ll see if there is a ‘rise’ to the ‘bait’… could be interesting…
Howard
We will see Howard . Immigration is not a simple stuff . Simple is to gather in the Central Park and scream against Trump’s policies and his orders .
Well, Jerry, I agree it’s not simple… but it was pretty damn simplistic, to detain folk already in the air to the US, who possessed legally valid documents… also, likely unconstitutional… yet, that is what happened… at least marginally… there is a prohibition of Congress passing ‘ex post facto’ laws… yet, the new prez, who regaled against ‘executive orders’, not only side-stepped Congress, but took an action they would not have been able to take… he did so without a demonstration of immediate necessity.
His executive order undid previous Congressional actions. An ex post facto veto, if you will…
The judge was absolutely correct in staying the EO… the judge did not overturn it, but at least stopped our airports and seaports from being indefinite detention centers this weekend… if that perhaps the reason that the EO was not signed on a monday?
Jerry and Howard
No rise. Not because no action taken. But because I have addressed this issue previously. If you do not remember, that is not on me.
Howard
Don’t take wrong . I entirely agree with on what President Trump . He is such a guy . My way or Highway . He is doing exactly what he was saying long time . Syria , Iraq . Yemen Somalia is a disaster and displacement and suffering of millions of people is beyond imagination . The refugees we are talking about are not in Syria or Iraq . They in refugees camps in other countries . They are for the long time in camps and the previous administration did not do much knowing what Trump will do it . We are not taking about 500 or 1000 people . We are talking about millions . This is a enormous dilemma . We are taking 1000 or we taking nobody . The two previous administrations are equally responsible for the creation of the disaster in the Middle Est. Egypt was on the brink of civil war as well but recovered in brutal crack down by the army against the Muslim Brotherhood. With exception to Israel looks like democracy does not work in Middle East countries and without a strongman the countries are became a slaughter house. Americans bombs killed lot of people in Iraq and Syria and I believe that it is a Trump’s reasoning not to let anybody from over there due to possibility of revenge. Terrible.
Jerry – Thank you for identifying one more thing that is not possible under the Bannon/Trump executive order.
Eric
It was possible for many month or even years prior the Trump . Nothing was done. Civil War in Syria going for many years . President Obama is the ISIS Godfather because he pulled out all troop from Iraq and created vacuum of power . It did not take long and ISIS was marching and taking cities and villages and slaughtering and enslaving people. Now, the President Trump does what he think is right for America and Americans regardless if he wrong or right .
Jerry
“You don’t know and you don’t appreciate what do you have “
On this, you are completely wrong. I have a very keen appreciation for what I have had. I have lived in a country where people respected the truth, valued our freedoms of speech, of assembly, to protest peacefully. It was a country that welcomed and sheltered refugees ( or at least gave lip service to doing so) and believed in working with our peaceful allies. It is precisely because I know and appreciate that country that I am so appalled by one in which the word from the White House is that we should accept “alternative facts” ( aka lies) and that the press should “just shut up” or it might get sued or worse by the man who occupies the White House. I didn’t make this up. These were the actual words of two senior advisors to the current president himself one of whom has now been elevated above generals on the security council although he has no qualifying experience himself.
No Jerry you are completely wrong about me. I do know and appreciate what we had…..and am very anxious about its potential loss to someone who cares only about their own aggrandizement and enrichment. Even Steve Bannon once referred to Mr. Trump as a “blunt tool” to be used. If you don’t believe it, just Google it.
Tia… you know what it means to put all/most assets into a “blind trust”? It generally means you have to liquidate/sell them… particularly if your name is associated with them… hard to be ‘blind’ to the Trump name…
Nice in theory, not so much in current reality… this possible COI is a real problem now… transparency on a case per case basis is more realistic than a “blind” solution… of course ‘the Donald’ did not make it easier by involving his heirs in the admin.
Howard
“you know what it means to put all/most assets into a “blind trust”? It generally means you have to liquidate/sell them… particularly if your name is associated with them… hard to be ‘blind’ to the Trump name…”
I am well aware of what a “blind trust” means. It would not be so hard to be blind to the Trump name if he were to take it down off all of those glittery buildings and sell them. Yes, it would be more complicated than for any former president of modern times. But if the current president is as smart as he claims, I am quite sure that he could figure out how to do it. He has the means, but not the will. The way I see it, he had an important choice to make. He could have the most powerful position in the world legitimately, or he could have it and use it to continue his own self aggrandizing enrichment. It seems clear to me that he has chosen the latter course.
David is right… full out war… no prisoners, only unconditional surrender is acceptable… get it…
Your contention of ‘choice’ is not supported, constitutionally, by your ‘arguments’… we are on a new field of play…
All ‘facts’ not in evidence… sounds like a big “meow” (yes, you’re being “catty”, IMO).
You are undermining legitimate concerns about COI with this ‘rant’… we need a Federal equivalent of CA Form 700, a form I’ve had to fill out for 31 years… a public document, as opposed to voluntary disclosure (for mgt staff folk in Davis, electeds, appointeds it is a MANDATORY filing, publically available).
Jerry
“You don’t know and you don’t appreciate what do you have “
On this, you are completely wrong. I have a very keen appreciation for what I have had. I have lived in a country where people respected the truth, valued our freedoms of speech, of assembly, to protest peacefully. It was a country that welcomed and sheltered refugees ( or at least gave lip service to doing so) and believed in working with our peaceful allies. It is precisely because I know and appreciate that country that I am so appalled by one in which the word from the White House is that we should accept “alternative facts” ( aka lies) and that the press should “just shut up” or it might get sued or worse by the man who occupies the White House. I didn’t make this up. These were the actual words of two senior advisors to the current president himself one of whom has now been elevated above generals on the security council although he has no qualifying experience himself.
No Jerry you are completely wrong about me. I do know and appreciate what we had…..and am very anxious about its potential loss to someone who cares only about their own aggrandizement and enrichment. Even Steve Bannon once referred to Mr. Trump as a “blunt tool” to be used. If you don’t believe it, just Google it.
Howard
“Immigration is not a simple stuff . Simple is to gather in the Central Park and scream against Trump’s policies and his orders .”
True as written. But there are many, many ways to resist. Gathering in public spaces be they the national mall, Sacramento, Davis Central Park or at airports is only one means. Support, both monetary and time can be provided to organizations one wishes to support. So far I have provided financial support to those needing shelter, medical support and training for those who do not have doctors readily available, financial backing to organizations that protect the environment, the ACLU, and Planned Parenthood most recently. I write, I call, I interact with elected officials, I table, and yes, I participate on the Vanguard. None of what I do is earth shaking, but then I truly believe that we are stronger together, that we should think globally and act locally regardless of the cliche nature of the phrases. Will I ever make an earthshaking change ? I doubt it. I do not believe that is my role. But just as with my career built one patient at a time, I am content with small steps, like water on stone.
Tia
What do you want to resist ? Tell me please ?
Jerry
“What do you want to resist ? Tell me please ?”
That is easy but would be a very, very long list. Basically almost every policy being put forth by the current administration, but I will be happy to list my major priorities.
1. The repeal of the ACA without a plan that would provide at least the same degree of health care for the same number of patients, and hopefully more. You know I am an advocate for universal health care so anything short of that will be a disappointment for me.
2. Defunding of Planned Parenthood without replacing it with compensatory health care services for the underserved.
3. Inhumane immigration policies. See link in other post.
4. Environmental degradation which will be a near certainty if the current president proceeds as stated.
5. Increased militarization of our police, attempts to reinstate torture, support for the death penalty and increased length of incarceration.
6. A military build up, robbing other countries of their resources ( “maybe we will have another chance to take Iraq’s oil”), dismantling longstanding partnerships , Nato and the UN.
7. Taking health care away from populations in extreme need because it is their practice to inform patients of the full range of options including abortion, whether or not they actually perform the procedure, which is the same as issuing a death warrant to medically underserved women.
8. The undermining of our public education system by a woman who has had no experience with public schools but who is a conservative ideologue and so must of course, know best even though she cannot distinguish between very basic educational principles at the time of her hearing.
Shall I go on ? I am just scratching the surface, but I think this might give you an idea.
Tia
Very ambitious . .
Personally I would like to see more young peoples as a soldiers than prisoners in state and federal prisons . I am against tortures . NATO and UN needs reorganization . Frankly I knew and I know nothing about Obama Care or ACA . I am pro life .
The immigration policies were not much different five years ago in regards to refugees from the Middle East . I read one comment about in Davis Enterprise .
Great… now you show your personal animus (?)… you wrote: [7:37 post]
Quoting me? I think not… first sentence is a clue. Second sentence confirms.
Tomorrow will try to get around to calling you out for what others have written. Or, I might be the informed adult…
Nah… hope you are more accurate in determining what orifices things come from, considering your line of work…
Jerry
You are right that gathering in the park is a simple act which in and of itself probably does not do much in the long run. And we in Davis will not be able to help millions. So let’s take one particular case.
http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2017/01/29/a_12_year_old_girl_is_stuck_in_djibouti_thanks_to_trump_s_executive_order.html”
Perhaps we, acting together could think of a way to help this one particular 12 year old girl and her family. So I will list the things that I can think of to do to help. Perhaps you would have additional thoughts. Maybe we might be able to have some impact beyond simply interacting on the Vanguard.
1. Since this is a family in Los Banos, California we could call in support of her being allowed into the country to Feinstein, Harris and our representatives. I will do this tomorrow.
2. We could bring up this particular case to our elected council members and county supervisors to see if we could elicit the support of elected officials. How about it city council members ? I know some of you read the Vanguard.
3. Someone who is internet savvy enough could start a go fund me for the family who will be in economic distress if the father must stay with his daughter for a long time.
4. I, or preferably someone from the legal community could contact the San Francisco based attorney for this family to enquire how private citizens or groups could help.
How about it fellow Vanguardians ? Surely a 12 year old girl trying to be reunited with her family is not such a threat that we could not attempt to help her gain access to the country that was built on providing shelter to those in need.
Tia
This what I am talking about . I don’t care if it is the President Trump or anybody . The Democrats don’t control Senate and House but they have lot of power . If the visa was granted by the American previous government than this President should respect it . You could write a good petition and we could sign it and at try move the wheel. If we send it to senator Harris than we will see if get response in the nice meaningless letter or actually she would try to help . Lot of Republicans disagree with President about the refugees fate. We will send it Speaket of the House by overnite mail and tweet and e-mail on by his website and to Homland Security new chief Sucks
Tia
If you will be crafting letter , focus on the humanitarian side of the issue . Don’t slam the new President because it would not help at all.
Jerry
“You don’t know and you don’t appreciate what do you have “
On this, you are completely wrong. I have a very keen appreciation for what I have had. I have lived in a country where people respected the truth, valued our freedoms of speech, of assembly, to protest peacefully. It was a country that welcomed and sheltered refugees ( or at least gave lip service to doing so) and believed in working with our peaceful allies. It is precisely because I know and appreciate that country that I am so appalled by one in which the word from the White House is that we should accept “alternative facts” ( aka lies) and that the press should “just shut up” or it might get sued or worse by the man who occupies the White House. I didn’t make this up. These were the actual words of two senior advisors to the current president himself one of whom has now been elevated above generals on the security council although he has no qualifying experience himself.
No Jerry you are completely wrong about me. I do know and appreciate what we had…..and am very anxious about its potential loss to someone who cares only about their own aggrandizement and enrichment. Even Steve Bannon once referred to Mr. Trump as a “blunt tool” to be used. If you don’t believe it, just Google it.
Jerry
Here it is, as requested.
Dear Senator Harris,
I wish to bring to your attention the case of one child who has been caught up in the confusion created by the immediate implementation of the Presidential order blocking immigrants from Yemen.
This is the daughter of Ahmed Mohammad Ahmed Ali, a citizen of the United States who with the remainder of his family lives in Los Banos, California as reported in http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2017/01/29/a_12_year_old_girl_is_stuck_in_djibouti_thanks_to_trump_s_executive_order.html
The girl was reportedly en route from Yemen to the United States when the edict was enacted which stopped her from coming to the United States.
I am asking you, in your role as Senator from California, to do everything within your power to help to unite this family who are contributing members of our community and who have done nothing to threaten or harm our state or country.
Respectfully,
Tia Will, MD
Please feel free to use as is, adapt, send to anyone you think might want to use it. I recommend starting with our senators and representatives. I am told that calling is more effective than writing or emailing however it is more time consuming as one frequently cannot get through on the first, second….or tenth try.
Jerry
“Personally I would like to see more young peoples as a soldiers than prisoners in state and federal prisons “
For me, this is not an either or. I do not believe that we should be focusing on either more soldiers ( we already have by far the strongest military ) nor on more prisoners ( we already have the highest incarceration rate of any comparable country). I believe that we should be focusing on training and employing our youth in areas in which we have actual need.
So what are we lacking in ? Home grown : field workers, in home care for children, the ill, and the elderly, housecleaners, construction workers, rural and inner city health care providers, teachers, distributers of healthy foods…..
I am just getting started. Our country has many, many needs, but we do not choose to provide living wages for citizens to fill those positions. If we would provide a homeland service commitment opportunity compensated at least as well as we compensate the military we would promptly improve two situations, constructive employment for our youth who could chose an area in which to not only provide service but also to gain job skills, and decrease the demand for undocumented workers. We have the ability, but not the will to create such opportunities for our youth.