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Manlin Chee targeted for political views

Since Sept. 11, 2001, a fear of diversity pervades our nation. The issues of racial and ethnic profiling and police brutality by "the powers that be" in our country today is not unlike that in Nazi Germany in the early and mid-1930s. Sadly, the German people understood too late: Silence is complicity.

Manlin Chee is being targeted for publicly speaking out against the Patriot Act. We must remember that those who stand up for justice often must face opposition but ultimately in the end prevail -- always. The late Robert Kennedy summed it up best: "It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope."

Manlin Chee has given many the gift of hope and a chance for a new life. And like Manlin, we must exercise our right to our freedom of speech and not become complacent. We must stand together to resist attacks on our freedoms from all repressive forces.

Tina Mercado
Reidsville

Comments (8)

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John Appel said:

Manlin Chee was targeted because she is a criminal, violating Federal laws. She helped people who are in this country illegally to stay here. One of her clients was a convicted cocaine dealer who Chee had represented before and who had been deported once already; Chee knew the circumstances in this case. Chee knew the woman was a convicted federal felon and still Chee helped her violate the law.
Chee's criminal acts are not an expression of her First Amendment right or a "diverse act of courage." They're the acts of a criminal for monetary gain.

Kehaar said:

Ditto. I don't think "civil disobedience" can be argued in this case. My reading is that one individual decided that immigrants should be allowed to live in the U.S. whether or not the U.S. legally allowed them to be here or not. If you don't agree with the law, work through the proper channels to have the law changed.

Tom said:

First of all Tina's comparison of post 9/11 America to Nazi Germany is idiotic. Anyone who does that loses credibility instantly, this is straight out of the left wing kook playbook. Secondly, I have seen letters comparing the struggle of immigrants to the civil rights struggle of the 1960's, where civil disobediance and breaking the law such like Chee did is to be commended because the laws were injust. Granted the laws were injust at the time for blacks.

The people supporting Chee leave out one convenient detail when making this comparison. The blacks in the 1960's were legal American citizens and did deserve the same rights as all American citizens. Illegal immigrants, by definition, are here illegally and do not have the same rights as US citizens, especially in this day of terrorism.

Good try Tina but no dice, Chee should be standing up for the law instead of breaking it, that is what lawyers are trained to do. Next time you make a comparison of America to Nazi Germany, keep in mind that Bush and our troops have freed millions in Afghanistan & Iraq, not enslaved them like Hitler did.

Steve said:

Ten years ago, I was sitting on the wall in front of the Hong Kong House on Tate Street. A sleek Jaguar pulled into the commercial parking space beside me. This tiny Oriental lady got out of the car and began her trek toward the restaurant. I hollered out, " I wish I could drive your car!" She handed me, a complete stranger, her keys and said she'd be through eating in an hour. I jumped in, adjusted the mirrors and drove her car to Guilford College and back.

Thank you Manlin, for being who you are.

Mariyas Papa said:

Reading Steve's post, I almost cried. She is a human gem.

If you read her story it is clear that this was a case of entrapmet. They went through thousands of her cases and couldn't find a single thing to get her. So they assigned a bunch of thugs to fool her. She's human. If she was into making money, or was a real criminal, she would have been cheating for thirty years.

this was absolutely and completely shameful of our government.
May God guide our country to the right path.

we are losing our sense of Justice.

note to Tom: human beings have basic rights. Being an American doesn't automatically mean your life is worth more. Furthermore, defense lawyers are tasked with defending their clients, be they legal or not.

sissy6709 [TypeKey Profile Page] said:

I am writing because my soon to be ex-husband duped me into marriage solely for a green card. I was 3 months pregnant before I started getting a clue. I am now trying to divorce after several years of severe emotional abuse by him.

Manlin Chee was his attorney. Before we married my husband told me that she file paperwork to get him a work sponsored green card and he was in this country legally. He was supposed to be sponsored by an small restaurant owner. To my knowledge this type of sponsorship is impossible. Besides, that my husband was in the country illegally because he came on a student visa even though he never went to school here. He had been in the US for 3 years past his return date.

This seems like incredibly irresponsible behavior on Chee's part. With her help my husband lied his way into marriage with me. Now my daughter and I are suffering the consequences.

I just want to get out there that Chee did knowingly help people who were in this country illegally. And these are not good people. I know a lot of them personally and they do horrible things while they are here. They commit a number of crimes. It disgusts me that she is being held up as a Political Prisoner. At best, she was irresponsible or a fool. I hope someone stops her from becoming a martyr. She does not deserve it.

She has helped many Egyptian men that I know stay in this country who had sham marriages that she knew about even if she did not arrange it. These men have commited various crimes and con women and other immigrants. It is disgusting. I have seen this with my own eyes. If I have my way she will be back in court again for this. It has cost me years of my life and my dreams of having a family.

sissy6709 [TypeKey Profile Page] said:

I wrote the comments above. If anyone else was victimized by Manlin Chee's clients with her help please email me at

ImmigrationFraudVictims@yahoo.com

Earnestine [TypeKey Profile Page] said:

whew. glad it wasn't me.

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