Cowards out of men

At the moment, we are still waiting for a determination on the waivers we have submitted to Homeland Security to adjust Khalid's status to that of legal permanent resident. It has been over a year since we first submitted it and we are still w...a...i...t...i...n...g... Additionally, we have also requested a pardon from the governor of New York and we are awaiting the outcome of that as well. Might as well leave no stone unturned.

I have no idea what is taking so long--other than to blame the delay on the well-known governmental presupposition towards bureaucratic inertia. The facts have been spelled out, our backgrounds have all been checked, re-checked and then checked again. No doubt, we have been subjected to various surveillance. I am sure the government is well aware of what kind of people we are, who we hang out with, our credit histories, opinions and affiliations. Obviously, there are no indications that we are violent or a threat to national security.

However, there is one possible cog in the wheel of securing Khalid's freedom-- That is this blog. Since this blog is publicly displayed on the web there is a good chance that it has been monitored by the government. Anyone who regularly reads my blog will attest to the fact that I am critical of aspects of the contemporary incarnation of our government, along with culture, capitalism, religion, and American exceptionalism.

In all honesty, this tendency towards criticism is a direct result of meeting Khalid and understanding his story. Before meeting my husband I did not find politics, law, culture or foreign policies the least bit interesting. I spent my time reading fiction, creating aesthetically pleasing artwork and remaining blissfully ignorant of how politics and world events can affect individual lives.

However, I will digress for a minute. For people who feel I am exaggerating the role of surveillance in our lives I recommend that they read the full expanse of The Patriot Act. Lovers of freedom, privacy and American ideals will, no doubt, find subsequent clauses quite objectionable.

The extent of surveillance for me, as a U.S. citizen, has likely been minimal and predominately limited to information found within the public sphere including credit scores, my education, addresses, my blog, etc. Despite this minimal intrusion it is still unsettling to think the government may still be monitoring my life. However, In addition to public information being monitored, I am confident that my banking records have been perused and even my phone has been tapped--particularly when we were first married.

Why? Well, when Khalid was first detained I'm sure he was tagged under the auspiciousness of being a possible Muslim terrorist. Therefore, his entire background was scrutinized in order to find evidence of misconduct. It is not a breach of logic to conclude, that I, as his wife, was also subject to a certain amount of surveillance. Exactly how much is debatable--and I have resigned myself to the reality of never knowing.

During this ordeal, I have occasionally doubted the prudence of maintaining this blog and being honest about my experiences and feelings. It has occurred to me that the things I say here have labeled me a "rogue" (in the real sense of the word, not the Palin-esque, misconstrued and sleight of hand invocation of the word recently implemented).

After the self-doubt seizure ends I can never deny my interpretations of the events that have swirled around us and how those events have impacted our lives. I could not sleep with a clear conscious if I remained silent and impotent. It is not in my DNA. And although I don't have enough disposable income to travel around the country actively protesting in pro-immigrant rallies..I can protest within my own small corner of the blogsphere-- always with the hope that I am educating someone about the current injustices perpetrated on minorities, immigrants and their families.

As Abraham Lincoln once said; "To stand in silence when they should be protesting makes cowards out of men."