Homeland Security Protecting America: Deporting Special Education Teacher?
Who is Obain Attouoman? And why does the Homeland Security Agency want him deported?It turns out that Mr. Attouoman is an immigrant from the Ivory Coast who arrived in 1992 seeking political asylum. However, after missing a deportation hearing four years ago, he ended up in jail for three months, lost an appeal, and is now facing possible deportation.
Ironically, there is a shortage of special education teachers in America. As one local paper reported:
"We have a healthy pool of applicants from which our principals can choose," Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources Jennifer Johnson said.Mr. Attouoman works at Fenway High School in Boston and has taught in the Boston public schools for more than a decade.
Specialty positions such as special education teachers are very difficult to fill.
"We work 10 times harder to find a special-education teacher," she said.
He states he misread a handwritten date on his hearing notice. He has been trying for the past three years to get a new hearing, but has been ordered to leave the country. Fortunately, since it would be dangerous for Mr. Attouoman to return to the Ivory Coast, he has been given a reprieve until 2007 to find another country to take him in asylum.
What is wrong in America that we attempt to deport a teacher who fails to make a hearing on their immigration status? A teacher who is employed in our schools and are here seeking asylum. A teacher that has already been jailed for his failure, who his loved by his students.
Senator John Kerry has introduced a bill in the Congress to allow Attouman to stay here permanently.
Thank you Senator Kerry! America needs to once again remember the words of Emma Lazarus from "The New Colossus" on the Statue of Liberty:
Give me your tired, your poor,We are living in difficult times. America needs the leadership of John Kerry in the White House and not just as a Senator. All of America and all of the world need the restoration of true American values that recognizes the plight of immigrants who have much to offer our nation.
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me:
I lift my lamp beside the golden door.
Bob
posted by BobsAdvice at 7:40 AM
2 Comments:
Good thing this guy wasn't an embryo or you wouldn't care so much, lol... ok, you've just said that Senator Kerry introduced a bill to let this guy stay. Great, good for Kerry, and I'm certainly not here to defend the morons in the white house, but I don't know that this issue could be laid directly at their feet. Beaurocracy is infamously stupid and infamously STUPID and obstinant people get lifetime civil service jobs. I'm glad Kerry did something about it and I think that most things vault him above the intelligence level of this administration but I don't know that you could, with any grip on reality, really use this as a Kerry vs the whitehouse argument.
It's a Stupidity and Orneriness of the American civil service arguement. Should it be changed? Sure, yes, absolutely... and while they're at it if Mr. Kerry could do something about that stupid ornery lady down at the drivers licence office(state, I know, but same thing, you get my point.) I'd really appreciate it.
Glad to see Senator Kerry step in. That's what I like about Kerry. He seems to come to the call of those who most need a helping hand. Not many of those left in politics these days. Just glad I voted for Kerry and this was another great reason why!
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