A Rather Interesting Experience

Yesterday I went for my appointment at the New Orleans Immigration office to submit our application and payment for fingerprints and whatever else they have to do.

It was an experience like none other.

Let me start by saying that I would prefer to be chained to the most uncouth, rude and worst mannered officer from the DMV for a week than spend another morning there in that office.

With that said, I think it is absolutely horrible that our tax dollars are at work paying the salaries of the individuals who are "servicing" the public in that office. Where the immensely huge chip on the shoulder came from, I'm not sure. And where, or where is the law that states that you can totally disregard human life and human feelings just because they need something that you can give them...it's totally unacceptable behavior.

98% of the waiting room was filled with people from other race, ethniticity and background. I was one of 3 white americans in the waiting room. I was also one of the only 3 who spoke fluent english. It saddened me horribly to see the lack of respect with which these people were treated since they didn't speak fluent english. I literally saw a 70 year old man get hollered at because his toes were over the black line. I have never witnessed people being spoken so rudely to in my entire life, myself included. From what my social worker says, it wasn't quite this bad before the problems that occured in conjunction with Hurricane Katrina. She said it's been getting worse since then.

Maybe I live in a bubble. Or maybe it's the Jesus in me. Or maybe I'm too sensitive. Or maybe it's just that I think that the entire human race deserves to be treated equally, regardless of race or color. America is a wonderful country, I think that there is no greater place on earth; but acting Supreme over other human beings because you are American was supposed to have ended, I thought, some time after the civil war. Maybe I am reading too much into it all. Maybe they are just frustrated with their jobs. Maybe it gets difficult trying to explain things all day when people don't speak the same language. All I know, is that from the 2 hours that I observed I went away with a pit in my stomach that lasted the rest of the day.

Since I was by myself and forgot to bring a book I talked to and met several different people who were also waiting for various reasons. It was fascinating to learn the different places that people were from and the reasons that they sacrificed a lot to come to America.

With all of that said, and the air cleared on that subject. I made it through the 2 hour wait and got our next appointment for the fingerprints; which is scheduled for May 22nd.

Hopefully they will wake up on the right side of the bed that day.

Dear Jesus,
What I saw yesterday left me with a pit in my stomach. It hurt my feelings to see people degraded. I pray that in everything that I do, I always have the utmost of respect for human life. As we know, we are all made in your image. Little did the office workers realize that by hollering at me, and treating me badly, as well as the others...they were in essence treating you badly. God work on their hearts. Father I pray for all of the others in that room, that were trying to follow the rules and do things the right way. Let Your will be done in their lives. I pray that I remember this experience the next time my flesh rises up and wants to be a little smart to someone for one reason or another.

A Face for Grace,
Holly

PS- I am editing this to add that throughout the course of the afternoon I have been pondering this experience in my mind and I now realize why I've been so upset. It is, of course due largly to the fact that there is little to no regard to feelings or basic customer service skills at this particular immigration office. But, mostly it's because I was reminded of what our Social Worker had told us in one of our training classes. And that is to be prepared for the fact that our child may not be treated the same as others, simply because she will not be white american. Even though she will have an American family, and will be raised in America, there will probably be times in her life when she will feel different, or not as important or left out, or just basically treated not as fairly as if she were to be white american. When she was telling us this I remember thinking that it wouldn't matter...and probably wouldn't happen. Certainly that type of thing doesn't still happen in America. Well, it does happen, I saw it yesterday. And as much as my heart ached for the people yesterday, I believe that it was also aching deep down inside for things that my daughter may have to go through one day. I will continue to pray that we'll be able to shield her from this pain. And to give her the resources to deal with things when she's too old for us to shield her pain...then she'll be able to trust Jesus to be her shield.