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| Fred, Mark and their children |
In my less than one year of blogging I have met some wonderful and interesting people. I must admit there are a few that I consider my favorites, people who touch me with their humor, their life stories, their compassion and their ability to love unconditionally. My friend Mark Himes is one of those people. Mark and his partner Fred have four wonderful children and I'm afraid their family is in danger of being broken apart. You can read all the details of this story on Marks blog Our Simple Lives and to a lesser extent in the letter I sent to The Secretary of Homeland Security on their behalf which I have posted below.
Dear Madam Secretary,
I
am writing to you today to ask for your help. My name is Jennifer Forbes. I'm American, I am a wife, I am a mother
of two and step mother of three, and grandmother of four.
I
am also the granddaughter of three immigrants who came to this country married
and raised their families. They had a dream, a vision of a place where they
could be free, free to work, free to worship, and free to associate. And they
chose America because this is the land where differences are respected and diversity
is celebrated.
In
my own family my step-daughter who is white is married to a person of color,
prior to the 1967 Supreme Court decision they would have been arrested here in The Commonwealth of Virginia for their union. My beautiful grandsons would have been considered
little more than outcasts, but for those who dared to speak up when they saw
injustice being done.
And
it is just such an injustice that has prompted me to write this letter to you
today. I would like to appeal to you on behalf of my friend Mark Himes and his
French born husband Fred Deloizy of Harrisburg Pennsylvania whose green card has recently
expired and is in danger of being deported. Fred has resided in this country
with legal status for the entirety of his 20+ year relationship and marriage to Mark;
his love for his family is clear and there is no doubt that he is a loving
spouse and parent. Fred’s ties and
relationship to this country are undisputed; the couple has four beautiful
adopted children together; Jonathan, Claire, Jacob and Joshua like all children
need their parents to be together. He loves this country and has shown a
willingness to work and the fact that he will contribute to our society is beyond
doubt because he has already.
It
is my opinion that the Defense of Marriage Act is a failure as marriages do not
need defining or defending, but families do. Mark and Fred’s family does. We as a society
cannot seriously protect a marriage that fails the children. Our children are
the future of this country, they need both parent home and engaged in their
lives. Married straight couples can sponsor their spouses but same sex
marriages remain un-recognized because of this act. You MUST consider making an
exception for this couple– for this family- for these CHILDREN. Do not uproot
these children from the only life they’ve ever known, because that may happen. Don’t make Fred leave,
please stop these types of deportations!
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| Fred & Mark |
We as a country evolve, attitudes change and we need to change with them; and so must the policies and laws of this government so that they reflect the will of its people. And if there are times Madam Secretary when we find we are bound by laws that are unfair or unjust then we must apply them with common sense and mercy.
I urge you to keep this family together; please reissue a new green card for Fred Deloisy, his children deserve to have both their parents.
Friends, That concludes my letter to the secretary. I just wanted to add that I respect that your opinions may differ from mine about gay marriage or even on issues of immigration. But I ask you to please join me and write your own letter. Help save this family; if for nothing else do it for the children.
With Thanks, Jen
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| Joshua, Johnathan Claire and Jacob I hope I got the twins right! |
Secretary Janet Napolitano
Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Washington, D.C. 20528
202-282-8000
