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?
Is that right?
It would seem that the law is unenforceable. But it is still an attempt to infringe on the rights of American men to freely associate with whomever they will. Something that should give every freedom loving Freeper pause. You know how these liberals works - death by a thousand cuts.
It should be opposed just on a symbolic basis.
I'm not a lawyer either. But I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night. :)
LOL! Well, then.......you can do ANYthing!
LOL Sweetheart, you have an ego problem. Your opinion of me is meaningful only to you. I couldn't care less.
But being the forgiving sort that I am, I'm going to provide you with one last opportunity to redeem yourself.
My, my, there's that ego again.
Now, run along and spend some time convincing yourself how important you are to the entire world.
LOL
As far as I can tell, this new legislation does not pertain to match.com and date.com.
I monitor many of these sites as research for my own European web site on life in Europe.
If all you are doing is monitoring, then this law wouldn't apply to you.
I do not think it is the governments business to provide clearances as to who can and can not use any site.
If you aren't looking for a mail order bride, then I doubt this is an issue for you.
Not necessarily. American men can meet foreign women in all kinds of websites. This law only applies when a third party agency is involved.
You are saying that you admire the western liberal dating websites that promote togetherness (and gayness).
I think you have me mixed up with someone else on the thread. I never said any such thing.
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