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From: Roy Beck, President, NumbersUSA |
| Date: Friday 29JUN07 11:30 p.m. EDT |
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"I was so discouraged that I quit at least 4 times during this battle, but then I would reflect on my dad who died in the Korean War fighting for this country and I would pick up the phone again.
"This is the first time in my 62 years that I have been active in politics and contacted anyone. I have called, faxed and emailed the President, Vice President, Senators, Representatives, and friends about this issue. I was scared to death to do it, but your encouragement kept me going. I am battle-weary from this fight, and I know the next one is very near. We are going to have to fight our own leaders to keep our own country, which seems ironic and so sad.”
----------Bob Hargis, Morrison, Colo.
DEAR FRIENDS,
I apologize that our NumbersUSA website does not have interactive pages for you to express your opinion to us and each other and for you to quiz each other about techniques to be more effective activists.
We are working on adding many new features of that kind in the near future. We want to unleash even more of the creative and symbiotic power of 450,000 American citizens (registered in our network) who are committed to action for a sensible immigration policy.
Response to Amnesty Defeat
“Thank You for making me feel a part of something big… My country. I know it’s not over: as we do this, we will only get better at it. I get paid soon so I will send a donation. You are a national asset and treasure. God Bless your organization, our Archangel in what was a dark moment for this nation. It is now a brilliant triumph. I hope we get to secure that border, and enforce the law with the laws we do have. Congratulations to all of you.”
----------Manuel Vega, Conway, South Carolina
“Thank you so very much for helping us to save America. You and your staff should be extremely proud of yourselves. It is a great feeling to know there are still people who will do the right thing for their country. Please help to keep us informed about what is going on with this subject, so that hopefully no one will become complacent.”
---------- Sherrie Gibson, With Much Gratitude, Newport Beach, Calif.
“We all realize that this is just the beginning of a tough fight to complete the job. Would you spearhead the effort to forcefully require Congress to not wait any longer? By this I mean, build the fence now! We cannot afford to wait until 2009 to get this effort started. The money has been allocated; it is time to build the fence. No more excuses! Let’s put just as much pressure on Congress as we have just recently generated. Encourage them that now is the time to work out each part of this whole problem in a sound, sensible (no behind the closed doors secrets), and effective manner. It will be a tough fight again, but I think this country is ready to step up to the challenge. Let’s go get ‘em!”
----------Charles Ransierginaw
“Thank you for giving us a way to channel our voices and have our own ‘lobby’ in defeating this amnesty and this out of control increase in immigration. I phoned, emailed and faxed all day while I watched CSPAN.”
---------- Toni McKinney, Lakewood, Colo.
“I am a regular working guy, and I have barely enough time for my family…let alone time to write to the elitists in D.C. I very deeply appreciate your work. Please tell everyone in your organization how much their work is appreciated by us regular ‘ole Americans!”
----------Jim Ridley
“I want to add my appreciation for the fabulous job you do making it so easy for us to make our voices known.”
---------- Marcy Underdahl, Price, Utah
“I am ashamed to admit that I have never called or written my senators or the White House until you came along! Thanks for reminding us what this great country is all about.”
----------Shelly Meissner, Richmond, VA
“I just called my Senator's office in Washington, DC. The girl answering the phone was obviously frazzled. All I could get from her was “Yes ma'am, I'll pass that on..." So I offered HER a little sympathy. I mentioned that I bet today has been pretty tough. She acknowledged that the last three weeks have been AWFUL. I said, “Well, it is even more awful for us, the people who live out here without any control of what is happening as the government seems bent on giving our country away.” I went on to say how critical to the survival of the USA this is and how letting all of these illegals in is a way to do away with the middle class and gain total control of the country. Her voice softened like she was about to cry and she said once more, "Yes, ma'am, I will pass that on."
----------Diana Benson, Saginaw, MO
“I work helping disabled adults, and this is another community being ignored by illegal immigration. Just coming out of a meeting yesterday, there are approximately 54 million Americans in this country out of jobs because businesses still have an attitude that if you have a disability, you not capable of working. These Americans want to work, they don't want to be on government assistance, and some are doing jobs ‘Americans don't want to do’ so to speak. I know of a woman in Minnesota who is a housekeeper and she has a disability, but she likes being able to pay her own bills however hard it is. So please do a section on the unemployed disabled community; they need jobs! This is another case to stop illegal immigration. There are so many different aspects of Americans wanting jobs that are being ignored… She said she was going to sign up for your organization after I spoke with her.
----------Michael Craven, Lynn, Mass.
“I have never before called or faxed my senators and congressmen - never before joining Numbers USA. You made it easy for me to both call and fax them regarding the amnesty issue. Unfortunately, my senators (Cantwell and Murray) ignored my pleas as they continued to vote in favor of legalizing an illegal act. This will obviously bode poorly for them in the next general election. I didn't think I was in a position where I could help the cause financially but I will donate on the next request, even if it means I do without something I want. Your efforts to make it easy for us average citizens to petition our Congress is more important than my individual needs.”
---------- Jerry Heitzman, Lacey, Wash.
“Using Numbers USA excellent fax and phone services to express ourselves are the single greatest tools we have to swiftly contact our representatives.”
----------Ronald Lazar, Coquille, OR
“Wow! I am thrilled so many people responded against the amnesty bill. What's next? Can you start a border fence campaign that will be just as effective?”
----------Patricia Ewers, Castro Valley, CA
“Now that the ‘amnesty’ bill has been rejected, can we get some help enforcing the laws already on the book? In other words: Send illegals back home and secure our borders! Maybe then we can help the hospitals and the Emergency Rooms and start using food stamps and welfare for our own needy. Take away medical and welfare from illegals, and they just might go home.”
----------Edwin Werntz, Baytown, TX
“Thank you so much for giving us an easy way to quickly forward our views. Both of my Texas Senators have written me several times in response to faxes sent through NumbersUSA and both of my Texas Senators have held the line and helped to kill this bill. I have already sent both of them an email thanking them for standing up for what is right for this country. Again, thanks for the vehicle we needed to reach Capitol Hill so quickly; Without organizations like this it simply could not have been done.”
---------- Melissa Bohannon, Houston, TX
“What are Numbers USA priorities now? I feel the next task is to go straight to work on enforcing existing immigration laws, securing our ports and borders (building a fence!), stopping Mexican trucks from driving into America, and stopping a federal multi-billion dollar plan to use American money to rebuild Mexico's infrastructure! Using Numbers USA excellent fax and phone services to express ourselves are the single greatest tools we have to swiftly contact our representatives.”
----------Ronald Lazar, Coquille, OR
“I made about 20 calls last night to Senators’ offices and of those, 6 calls were thank you and appreciation calls to some of the Senators who have stood up against this bill for the long haul. Many of these Senators’ mail boxes were full and no more messages could be left; a good sign! I understand this morning President Bush called all of the Senators about their vote, and Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez approached senators as they entered and left the chamber shortly before the vote. Tony Snow has been calling them for several days...I have never seen such strong arm tactics in my life along with the senate proceedings yesterday! They really wanted this passed, didn't they? The one thing they underestimated was that when the grassroots citizens of this country have had enough of something they usually get things done!
"I talked to a County clerk in my town and she was going to post the numbers website on the community courthouse bulletin board and also she will be checking out the site. Maybe members in their towns could ask for the same exposure to the website!”
---------- Sue Watt, Scotland, Ark.
Several of you wrote in with wonderful and lavish personal praise addressed to me. I thank all of you, even though it would be in poor taste to reprint them. ... Well, maybe I'll include just one. This one from Brandon was exceptionally dramatic and ornate -- and an energized way to look at our whole movement. As long as you didn't see me in any of my CNN interviews this week, perhaps you can just envision the person hunched over this keyboard as a Gary Cooper. Obviously, I love the flattery, but why do Sens. Sessions, Vitter, DeMint, McCaskill and Dorgan get to be Jimmy Stewart?
"Dear Roy, I wonder if you’ve seen the movie “Meet John Doe”; if so you might recognize yourself as the modern day embodiment of Mr. Doe, played by Gary Cooper. Like John Doe, your vision and character are the foundation and catalyst of this mounting modern day populist uprising. Similarly a handful of principled Senators personify the embattled Senator, played by Jimmy Stewart, in “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington”. Few can stand up to the pressures of such threats; but without these men and women of character, the enemy within would most surely have prevailed.
"Of course there are other heroes along with villains and their victims in this epoch. Ranchers under siege along a border that has become a war zone comes to mind. Journalist turned Minuteman Chris Simcox, camera in hand, mobilizing average Americans from all walks of life. They monitor the border, exposing in graphic reality the human tragedy and environmental catastrophe. No one should forget the Bush administration's newest targets of political terror…America’s Border Patrol Agents. The message is clear…agents who dare do their job may well face ten years in a small cell as political prisoners… solitary confinement may well be ones fate. Yes there are lots of true heroines and heroes, and sadly, too many victims in this revolt. Be-that-as-it-may, your clarion call, like Paul Revere in his day, has raised the alarm; and given a sustaining voice to the growing numbers of citizens of the USA taking up the ‘call’ in this fight for America’s sovereignty and its very survival.
"While the next battles in this war to turn back a ‘tsunami’ of foreign ‘labor’ is just over the horizon; incorruptible Patriots from every corner of America have you and the sustained energy of the NumbersUSA staff to thank. Exposing the skullduggery of the economic hit men [lobbyists> while not easy…it is essential. Wielding their insidious corrupting influence upon lapdog political minions these people haven’t only forgotten their roots, they’ve lost their souls. Keep the torches shining bright on those cowards and traitors who, for 30 pieces of silver, would betray America’s future.
"Thank you for keeping America’s fate from being sealed this day in the cloture and dagger of wmd politics launched on America by globalist gwb (a man I’m sorry to say I voted twice for). Now hit hard in an offense that can’t be ignored. Ike in his time sent foreign labor packing, and we can too."
----------Brandon E.
All of you deserve to claim whatever movie character you wish to represent you in a movie about how hundreds of thousands of regular American citizens reclaimed their country and began to set it back on course.
I and all of the staff of NumbersUSA are honored to serve a facilitating role in assisting you to combine your voice with others to have real impact in Washington. We are thrilled that NumbersUSA has been so helpful in the mobilization. We will continue to do our best to play this role with fidelity to our stated purposes and goals (see our Home Page) and without abusing the trust of the citizens who participate.
Always remember that because our staff and members come from all parts of the ideological spectrum and are Democrats, Independents and Republicans (with a decent representation of Libertarians and Socialists to boot), NumbersUSA does not use your activism for any other policy change than to reduce overall illegal and legal immigration numbers.
We know that all of you have other really important political goals, but we focus only on immigration in order to put together the largest, most powerful force to change destructive immigration policies.
Your combined efforts in this highly focused campaign the last two months were given an incredible tribute this morning by the editorial writers of the Washington Times:
(T)he amnesty coalition collapsed, and the 64 Senate supporters became just 46. What happened? As we noted above, talk radio proved that in modern times, it is indispensable for conservative political success. Much of the credit should also go to the bipartisan lobbying organization NumbersUSA, a powerful advocate for strengthening border security, which made it clear to members of Congress that they weren't buying the phony games some lawmakers wanted to play: proposing tough-sounding amendments that stood little chance of becoming law, while voting for cloture — and in effect for amnesty.
In numerous publications, Sen. DeMint (R-S.C.) explained how a handful of committed junior Senators was able to defeat The Establishment on amnesty:
"And we would have been railroaded, run over, completely flat, if the American people hadn't gotten so mad about this."
And in story after story today, you volunteer activists using NumbersUSA tools have been given a lot of that credit, such as the article in USA Today which featured your efforts:
Opponents claimed a populist victory over what Roy Beck of NumbersUSA called "the cheap-labor lobby." Beck said his organization, which focuses on immigration-related issues, generated more than two million faxes against the immigration bill since May. Hours before the Senate vote, the Capitol switchboard was swamped with phone calls.
"The intensity level and the passions on this bill, we've never seen anything like it. Not even close," said Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., who voted against the bill despite a call from Bush.
I think Vicki Robb was on to something today when she said, "NumbersUSA supplied the circuitry to carry the electricity that shocked the Congress."
Thanks again for your electrifying surge,
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