Posted on 02/14/2006 6:12:25 AM PST by GermanBusiness
The Violence Against Women Act signed by President Bush on Jan. 5 contains an almost unnoticed attachment.
Subtitle D, also known as the International Marriage Broker Regulation Act of 2005 (IMBA), will become law when VAWA is enacted. The IMBA is an ostensibly noble measure with a surprising and ominous twist.
The scant attention directed toward the IMBA has been positive.
A headline in Washington State's The Daily Herald announced, "Mail-order brides gain protection" with the subtitle "The mother of a murdered immigrant hopes that pending federal legislation will keep foreign brides from abuse, neglect and slavery."
The "murdered immigrant" refers to Anastasia King, a "mail-order bride" from the former Soviet Union. In 2000, King was murdered by her husband in Washington State where the case created a sensation largely because the husband had violently assaulted a previous "mail-order bride."
Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash., and Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., who championed the measure for years, introduced the IMBA to Congress.
Some parts sound reasonable. For example, U.S. consulates will provide "mail-order brides" with brochures that explain their legal rights.
Other parts sound draconian. For example, the IMBA requires American men who wish to correspond with foreign women through private for-profit matchmaking agencies to first provide those businesses with their police records and other personal information to be turned over to the women.
Corresponding with a foreigner is legal. Marrying a foreigner is legal. Immigrating spouses and their husbands go through rigorous and lengthy screening before visas are issued. U.S. laws against violence protect "mail-order brides."
Now American men who wish to pursue a legal activity must release their government files to a foreign business and foreign individuals for their personal benefit.
(Note: The act's language is gender-neutral but its clear purpose is to protect foreign women from predatory American men. Application to "male-order husbands" would be incidental as such 'brides' are relatively rare.)
The disclosure requirement is detailed under the provision entitled "Obligations of International Marriage Broker With Respect to Mandatory Collection of Information."
An international broker cannot provide contact or general information on a foreign woman to an American man unless that broker first collects and discloses to the woman the following information about the man:
Every state of residence since the age of 18; Current or previous marriages as well as how and when they terminated; Information on children under 18; Any arrest or conviction related to controlled substances, alcohol or prostitution, making no distinction on arrests not leading to conviction; Any court orders, including temporary restraining orders, which are notoriously easy to procure; Any arrest or conviction for crimes ranging from "homicide" to "child neglect"; Any arrest or conviction for "similar activity in violation of Federal, State or local criminal law" without specifying what "similar" means. U.S. law will provide foreign women with extensive government information on American suitors that is not similarly offered to American women which it shouldn't it be either.
Contacting a woman for romantic purposes internationally or domestically is not a crime. Those who do so are not a priori criminals who must prove themselves innocent before being allowed an e-mail exchange.
How many American men will be impacted by the IMBA?
A play on dreams? False advertisement is a play on dreams to, we have laws against it.
When you look at his picture, you really have to forget your personal disgust for his appearance and your personal disgust for the older white male that comes through in your words. Anastasia's family liked him for his professoral qualities (highly prized in that part of the world). He could have convinced an American woman that he lived in a mansion instead of a trailer. You cannot legislate that. Your personal baggage is of no interest to any American male. Our rights are of interest. There are thousands of murderers like the guy below. Their actions must not lead to the curtailment of the rights of other men.
It is a shame that it turned out that he worked at Costco...but that is no frigging reason to legislate anything!
If his records had been available to the girl and her family she could have made an informed decision and not been murdered by a sad depraved being.
[He was put in jail for 6 months, but that is not the end of the story. We discovered he has applied to bring another RW to the States, his third.]
Sounds like he should have been locked up for a lot longer.
What does that have to do with our rights to say hello? Don't go soft on us here.
And I fully understand that the man applies for the visa but, of course, have never done so myself.
The State Department has to allow us to bring women to the USA as girlfriends, not as "fiances". The current system is sick. You know this. You are on the right side.
Thank you for admitting that.
Is there ANY legal restriction on human behavior you find objectionable?
Certainly, and I don't particularly like this one. But I don't DISlike it so much that I'm going to worry about it. I think guys who need to go after mail order brides are creepy enough to need some monitoring.
Everyone still has a right to call or visit without using a business, businesses that promise marriage, are regulated as any business is.
[If his records had been available to the girl and her family she could have made an informed decision and not been murdered by a sad depraved being.]
Correct. At the point of applying for a visa, she could have learned that there was trouble with the first wife who left him.
But you cannot legislate "hello". They are not children. And that is where the courts will strike this down.
And I am surprised that, like CrippleCreek, you are apparently a MALE!!
The feminist apologists in the American male population are legion.
Certainly. But we aren't talking about casually meeting a woman. We are talking about guys who engage an agency. For what purpose other than to seek a wife?
I am in Europe, and have met many women online and from many countries. Some have been romantic girlfriend, some are just friends.
Did you engage an agency to do so? If not, then this doesn't apply to the topic at hand.
[Everyone still has a right to call or visit without using a business]
Keep it up. Single males are going to be redirected to this thread to see the kind of political enemies they really have.
Sounds to me like hairy-legged, bitter feminist don't like foreign competition.
There is no point of applying for a Visa.
The man sends a petition to the US government who sends one to the foreign located US embassy, the girl get's a physical and shows up to answer questions.
I know enough Russian women, and American men who've abused this process and in ways that vastly compromise national security to know that the process needs regulation of both parties.
Any man who is interested can fly to Russia and say hello, or call.
You're objection is that you can no longer string along clients with false claims and a pipe dream.
No, what I'm making light of is the attitude of some Freepers that if you don't agree with them on every issue, then you aren't a conservative. That's a ludicrous view, but one held by some Freepers none the less.
If you choose to voice support for nanny statist legislation such as this
LOL No, what I'm supporting is protecting women from the creepy guys that need to get mail order brides.
How is requiring background checks stopping men from introducing themselves?
Are you suggesting men cannot apply for a visa, go to Moscow and hit the night clubs (or churches depending on the sort of woman they're looking for)?
Are you suggesting phone service doesn't connect to Russia?
[I am in Europe, and have met many women online and from many countries. Some have been romantic girlfriend, some are just friends.
Did you engage an agency to do so? If not, then this doesn't apply to the topic at hand.]
Dating websites are dating websites. If one markets itself with a schmalzy "marriage agency" panache...it is doing so probably because women in certain cultures are more serious than in the west where the dating sites tend to just promote togetherness (and gayness).
You are saying that you admire the western liberal dating websites that promote togetherness (and gayness).
ou
What does that say about how conservative you are?
I'd say that your admiration for the western secular dating sites and your oozing contempt for the eastern marriage-oriented websites speaks volumes.
Your disgust for men who prefer Eastern European women is evident. But others have pointed out that it might not be that you are simply liberal (although I believe you are more liberal than you understand).
I know from other threads that you are older and resent the idea that the best American males your age will simply ignore you and choose younger more attractive looking and speaking women from other countries...or from the university or community college near you.
You are filled with resentment.
You are promoting false advertisement and churning. Both of which are against the law.
Where do you get the idea that I am in this business?
I want the ability to get a phone number of someone great looking on the Internet in case I am flying to Moscow on business the day after tomorrow. I have that ability now and I will keep it. Except there could be hassle for the few months before this law is struck down by the courts.
The hassle is in the delay and the BS involved in a stranger getting a form that says nothing, but has a lot of "no's" down it. Even guys with criminal records would be putting "no" down on these stupid forms. This law is really watered down to the point where this is just dumb. It protects nobody. It is just paperwork: government hassle.
But a law at all here is unconstitutional and infuriating to single males who don't want a Mommy state.
Of course I can just meet someone at Moscow's Olympic Swimming Pool as well. But who are YOU to mess with my rights? You're nobody. And this law is unconstitutional and pathetic. It is going down. But my trust for politicians is out the window. I didn't see this legislation coming. It was rejected last fall as legislation...but then it was snuck inside a larger bill and obviously passed as part of a backroom deal between Bush and the likes of Maria Cantwell (who then voted against filibustering Alito and will suffer for that from the far left).
I don't want my rights being used as a political football.
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