They should set up a table at the bottom of the ramp to the boat with this sign:
Posted on 07/20/2006 7:19:19 AM PDT by dotnetfellow
Well, we’ve been at the makeshift deportation center for six hours now. We were called at 2:00 am and told to be here at 9:00, but our name isn’t on any list. Many are in the same situation – but many others haven’t been called and are crashing the gates and creating problems.
For the first 4 hours we were on a concrete road in the hot sun. We were able to watch three big ships coming in from the sea. We made a little tent with Adam’s blanket for our kids and some others nearby. All the announcements were being made in Arabic which made me very upset. Way more than half of these people are naturalized citizens. Finally about two hours ago, some of us who weren’t pushing and yelling started asking the American Marines for help. Since then, the Americans have brought us shades, cold water and even food for some of the children.
Many people who’s names were on the list aren’t here. A marine told us to stand by in case there is space, but said it quietly to just a few people who weren’t causing trouble. I can tell our Marines really care and are very sympathetic, but they are low ranking and have no real power.
Clearly the organization system here has terribly failed. With thousands wanting to leave, I’m sure it’s very difficult. Some older people and babies have already needed medical attention from the heat. Pray that we will all be put on a ship soon. We’ve seen three big ships roll into the harbor so far – so things are clearly moving now. They promised at the least to put all of our names on the first list for tomorrow, but we are still praying and hoping for better.
For now we’re staying unless we’re escorted out. The area seems very well guarded and was not publicly disclosed. We can even see sniper guards nearby. It was very hard and sad to say good-bye to Dani’s family who does not have the option of leaving. We don’t want to have to do it all over again. Adam has been crying in several spells that he wants to go on the big boat. We all do!
So anyway, we’re back at our families house now – but there is still more to this story. I learned from the Marines that the problem was that they called everyone with children hoping that there would be extra space from people who didn’t show up. Basically, they overbooked out of hope. They had a protocol and order for the names though, and for whatever reason, we didn’t make it.
I have to admit that it was discouraging seeing people with bizarre foreign names, broken English and Middle Eastern style clothing boarding ahead of me. Maybe I need an attitude check, but that was definitely how I felt at the time.
After the ships were full, they planned to take the names of everyone who had been there all day to be first on tomorrow’s list. That’s when the insanity broke out. I went to a wedding while here and the line just for the reception buffet was what we in America would call a mob out of control – so you can imagine when we were told to stand in line for two small processing tables. We were asked to send only one family member, so we decided on me since I had befriended some Marines already. Over half of the people truly wanted to stand in line and be civilized, but didn’t want everyone else pushing ahead of them either. I’m pretty good at diplomatically negotiating clumps of people that should be a line from my cafeteria days in college. Every time I felt people pushing behind me I would jump into the flow and be shoved another four or five people ahead. Everyone seemed to know that I wasn’t the cause, and they were very nice and helpful to me. One man rudely pushed ahead of me when I made way for a little girl to get out – I pushed him back out of my way and yelled at him. He wanted to pick a fight, but everyone around was on my side, so he backed down. I managed to block off several rude people and was very proud of myself.
At some point it was so crushed and clausterphobic, I could hardly breathe. Some people saw Adam crying for me and pushed me ahead again. I tried to stay light and funny. I had others laughing a lot – which I think was very helpful. Eventually the American soldiers threatened to close the center if people didn’t get into three straight lines. Once we were in lines and there was room to breathe, there was much more laughing and joking. I did a little dance when I got to the front. I think everyone was happy for me that I had stood my own against the Lebanese mob mentality. One of the Marines stopped what he was doing to shake my hand and congratulate me.
I had several assurances from home yesterday that it is not selfish to fight for your children, so I did today. Most people were very decent and caring and let through people who seemed sick, old ladies, etc … But the few rude people set the tone until the soldiers took charge.
There were three boats today -- we heard maybe as many as eight tomorrow. At this point they are taking mainly citizens with minor children, residents have to wait – so we should go soon. Tomorrow we will bring tanning lotion and bathing suits. We will make a party of it if necessary :) The kids were so happy today that we had brought pringles and oreos and movies for them to watch, it really helped.
Makes ya want to vacation in the States, doesn't it?
And why were they in Lebanon?
On the news I heard them say they are taking only Americans? You really can't trust anything that is said on the news!
>>And why were they in Lebanon?<<
It looks like they were there for a wedding.
Kind of like traveling to Afganistan after 9/11.
A letter all the way from Lebanon to the US in just a couple days? Whodathunkit?
If that's the only reason they went to Lebanon, that's not much of a reason to put your childs life in danger. I hope the State Dept. gets back to start charging these idiots for the exit costs. Then I hope that Child Services investigates them when they get back to the states.
I like to joke that the only time I ever left the USA, it was only to get a better view OF the USA. (Crossed over to Canada to view the American Niagara Falls.) Got back as soon as I could.
There aren't many places outside the USA I'd want to go. You can have the British Isles, all of Asia, South America. I wouldn't mind going to Italy someday. Then again, if my current work aspirations pan out, I may end up travelling the world. But I figure if it's for work it's worth it. But for fun? I like it here in the USA.
I don't care if I'm the Best Man, if you want me at your wedding, don't have it in Lebanon.
My friend Dani moved here 15 years ago from Lebanon. He left to lebanon five six weeks ago along with his wife and three children to visit his parents and his siblings.
Things were not heated back then. The climate turned on a dime.
Well, let's see, since the internet makes viewing letters online instantaneous, then I guess it doesn't take as long as you would think.
IMHO, the "climate" didn't turn on a dime.
Hezbollah has been terrorizing Israelis along the border for years.
What happened was they (Hezbollah) poked the lion with a stick once too often, and Israel finally responded.
I guess in that way, you could say that the Israeli's response "turned on a dime"...but the terrorist actions in southern Lebanon have been there for years.
I did a couple of trips to Australia when I was younger.
Right now, with the state of the world, even if I had the money to fly myself and my kiddies around the world, I would "See the USA in my Chevrolet"
There is so much to see and do here, I don't think we would ever run out.
>>Hezbollah has been terrorizing Israelis along the border for years<<
Exactly.
I agree that this is a long time in coming. I follow current events closely on Free Republic and other websites. If I could have predicted it myself I would have warned by friend not to go. No one predicted this outbreak prior to these last two weeks.
He does. His children and wife are native Americans.
Wow, thanks for sharing. You're friend sounds great and so do our soldiers! God bless them.
Is your friend a schoolteacher? Anyway, still, 5-6 weeks is a long time to expose your wife and kids to a politically unstable place. Still a dumb move if you ask me. Should have cut the trip to a week or two.
The American gov't takes better care of non-Americans better than it does it's very own citizens. It's a weird case of noblesse oblige --if you're born noble, your obligated to act magnanimously.
That's that's snobbism dressed up as philanthropy.
I'd wager that a very good number of those blue-passport clutching Lebanese are Hezbollah supporters.
Meanwhile, 6,000 Mexican invaders cross our southern border every night, and we do nothing. It's frigging SICK.
They should set up a table at the bottom of the ramp to the boat with this sign:
Your friend, Dani, moved to the U.S. from Lebanon? And now he writes this? He must have become totally Americanized.
Sounds more like it is his wife writing the letter.
For all of those who keep posting about how you wouldn't leave the country, that we should charge these people for getting them out of a war zone, that they are stupid, etc........ GET OVER IT!! It sickens me that you would prefer the USA ABANDON it's citizens.
If I were in Isreal visiting the holy sites there at any time in the last 40 years-war could have broken out. If there are people visiting family in Isreal right now, who went there before the terrorists started this present offensive, should they be left to their own devices to get out? These people in Lebanon did not go to a war zone, it became one after they got there.
One thing I am proud of about this country, it (like Isreal) values every life, and does not abandon its citizens.
IIRC the Lebonese recently kicked out the Syrian supported government to create a democratically elected government. This person is there for a family wedding.
This is the same moronic mentality of those who deliberately chose to ignore the mandatory evacuation order for New Orleans and just scorned the warning and orders.
What about the people who lived there before Katrina-they lived in an area of potential danger (a hurricane could hit and wipe out the levee.....)
This is the same stupidity and mentality of "Human Shield" Democrats who went to help Saddam Insane.
That is an unfair comparison. The human shield idiots went there to make a really stupid political statement.
Not real bright and very deserving of the worst possible outcome.
This statement says to me that you think this person who went to an area that was not in a war zone at the time he went, to go to a family wedding, DESERVES to get tortured and killed. Did you really mean that? If you do mean it, it does not say good things about you.
Spoken like someone who hasn't been separated from his parents for several years, and someone whose children have had the privilege of actually meeting their grandparents once in their lifetime. Five, six weeks, not so long. Also, it is a myth to believe that things were this heated five, six weeks ago. It wasn't. It is also a myth to claim that Lebanon is like Syria, Iran, Iraq, or Afghanistan. Things were relatively quiet in Lebanon compared to those other countries. Was Hezbollah a problem then? Yes! But Israel wasn't dealing with the problem until the last couple of weeks. Who knew? Certainly not you, me, or possibly, though there is no way of knowing even the Bush Administration! I am a conservative. I frequent Free Republic. But people who so quickly stand in judgement of anyone who gets caught in a war zone, I believe should rethink things. It wasn't like they were going to visit Iraq for a tan!
His native born American wife wrote it. They have three native born American children, ages 12, 10, and six. Their twelve year old daughter takes dance lessons with my 12 year old daughter. Their 10 year old son comes to my 10 year old son's birthdays. They are American! Dani posted his wife's letter on the web linked to at the top of this thread.
Agreed! How quickly everybody want's to blame an American for being in Lebanon.
Did Israel have every right finally engage a posture of self-defense? Absolutely!
But nobody could have guessed they were finally going to do so. We need to do everything we can to help American's who have gotten caught in the cross fire without standing back and throwing stones at them.
Oh, stop the excuses for your stupid friends. Holding a family reunion in a terrorist controlled zone is stupid, pure, plain and simple. They could have all easily traveled and found a safer place so that everyone could have had a safe vacation. BTW, I never said the USA should abandon its citizens. I said the USA should charge them for the evacuation costs!
You are clearly an idiot, so there is no point trying to hammer any sense into you. You have no clue about the differences in the dynamics of these different countries, so there is no point trying to educate you. You, like so many, simply lump all of the ME countries into one big happy family. That's okay. Keep coming to Free Republic and you will eventually be enlightened from your bigotry!
God bless them and help them to get out in the morning! I just posted an article from the Virginian-Pilot about the USS Nashville helping folks evacuate today. The sailors and Marines are honored to do what they are doing.
I can understand how a family would travel to Lebanon to see relatives, some for the first time ever. These folks are not whining about their predicament, and they seem to have a load of patience. Even the children. Some of their fellow travellers don't seem to have the same mentality.
God bless our men and women in uniform!
Truth hurts, don't it? Your idiot friends should have had the family reunion in Cyprus, where they ended up after fleeing the terrorist haven where they idiotically went to in the first place. I hope to see your friends win a Darwin Award!
No one did.
And I concur, you are an idiot.
Man, I hope you ignore some of the posters who take their anger out on your friend. Lebanon used to be a lovely civilized country. Unfortunately, families have been split up because of the muslim takeover. Your friend had every reason to go back home. Who wouldn't long to see their parents and brothers and sisters? I am very happy to hear his gratitude toward our great Marines. And I appreciate this up close and personal bit of history in the making. This one little detail tells us a lot about the difference between muslim and civilization: the inability to wait in a line.
A letter all the way from Lebanon to the US in just a couple days? Whodathunkit?""
I cannot get a first class letter from Southern Kalifornia to Northern Nevada in less than 3 days unless it is sent priority mail.....
Diddle says.."Good idea! Let's have it at a place that is a haven for terrorists!
Dotnet says.."Sounds good to me"
Ronaldus says.."You guys are idiots for doing that. Maybe you can find a safer place?"
Dotnet and Diddle both say..."No, you are the idiot".
Ronaldus mumbles..."Boy, some people are just dense. No wonder the Darwin Awards were invented".
LOL They're good. Kindergarten Teaching 101.
Glad you mentioned that article...here's some text from it.
""She and her husband have been text messaging his family members still in Lebanon, and they're OK, she said. "They live about a mile and a half from one of the major bombing areas," she said. They too will join the Esseilys by way of Cyprus or Syria, thanks to U.S. visitor visas, and "bunker down" with them in Dana Point, California, for a few weeks. ""
Soooo, Dotnet's friend, Dani, could have gotten visitor visas for his family members and "bunkered down" in the USA! Now who's the idiot?. Some people just won't admit they are wrong and will be eternal apologists. Sigh.
> Man, I hope you ignore some of the posters
Yeah, there is no sense trying to teach an idiot like that. His tiny little heart won't listen to anyone other than the judgemental voices inside his tiny little head.
That's exactly how a liberal would talk. No facts or logic, just emotions.
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