Senator Blackburn,
I am a constituent and a voter.  I was disappointed to read your most recent newsletter and see that you seem to be perpetuating the caustic myth that people who come to this country without permission of the US government tend to pose an outsized threat to residents of this country.   I know this to be false statistically and anecdotally.  I might point your attention to an article in the Washington Post "Two charts demolish the notion that immigrants here illegally commit more crime" (June 19, 2018) that shows a negative correlation between crime and illegal immigrants.  In addition to the statistical evidence, I have plenty of anecdotal evidence that leads me to the conclusion that illegal immigrants do not pose an outsized risk to my family.  I have spent my career in education and have worked with many families of undocumented immigrants.  On balance I have found the parents of the undocumented children I teach to be, OVERWHELMINGLY hardworking, thoughtful and respectful people who pass those traits along to their children.  Certainly, there are outliers, but on balance I do not think it fair to portray these people as thugs, rapists, and drug dealing murderers, with a few good people sprinkled in here and there.   Next time you have the occasion to bring guests to the State of The Union, I hope you will bring guests that suggest the complexity of the state of immigration in this country.  There are so many hard-working immigrants -documented and undocumented- who come to this country to give their children the best possible upbringing.   These people work hard, open businesses which strengthen our economy and lead to the betterment of society.  As a parent I am empathetic to the Corcoran family's loss.  The thought of losing a child to violence is almost inconceivable to me.  But it is not fair to use their pain to falsely demonize so many hard-working, good people who wish only the best for their children and whose contributions to our society leads to a better life for us all.

Thank you for your service to the people of Tennessee,
-hmw

Agree with repeal of 2nd Amendment

I agree that we needn't take away all guns from all people in this country, just as I don't believe we need to take cars (far more dangerous) away from all people.  But, like driving a car, I do not think gun ownership should be a construed as a right. The original intent of this amendment, to provide a legitimate counterweight to a standing army, is clearly inapplicable today;  even the most "well-regulated" of our country's self-styled militias can hardly stand up to their local municipal police force, to say nothing of countering a phalanx of US Marines.  I struggle to see what purpose this amendment serves-- it certainly doesn't protect me.  Thus, I agree with the call to repeal the Second Amendment.

Letter to obama re: Syrian/Central American refugees

Dear Mr. President,
Every time I hear about Syrian refugees languishing as they attempt to find sanctuary in Europe I think of my nine-month-old son.  I cannot imagine leaving our home with only the clothes on our backs, or being forced to board an unseaworthy boat to cross tumultuous waters.  I do not understand the politics of a place like Turkey, whose response to the crisis has been so disappointing, but I think I understand us. We are the country that knows that immigrants, people who come to these shores in crisis, have built our cities, brought fruit from our soil and lead us to the vanguard of the information age. Immigrants are more than valuable, are the lifeblood of our country.

I hope that you will work with the State Department to bring as many Syrians refugees to this country as we can, to alleviate this injustice.

I hope, too, that you will do what we can to welcome those Central American refugees who yearn for freedom, safety, and prosperity in our country.  I hope that you will not bolster the efforts of the Mexican military and police who, like Turkey, have demonstrated a distressing lack of humanity towards their neighbors.

The children who long to make it over the Rio Grande will be the leaders of the next generation, they will make our country better, we will all be better for having them here.

Thank you for your service to our country.

Sincerely,
-Helder Weil

Egypt, Military Aid

A slightly modified version was sent also to Obama, Kirk and Durbin.

Dear Representative Schakowsky,

I was encouraged to hear the President declare his disapproval of the ongoing crackdown in Egypt and am happy that planned military exercises have been cancelled. Shortly after that press conference I received an email from a friend in Egypt. He asked if there was anything I could do to help the dire predicament in Cairo. There is a massacre going on there, he explained, and the international media isn't reporting what's happening. He sent me several videos, which I have attached below, depicting the protest both before and after August 14th crackdown. The images are horrific and seem to show, as do the ones in American media, a populous armed, at best, with rocks and sling shots, being attacked by the very heavily armed government.  It was especially frustrating to see U.S. Humvees patrolling the streets in the wake of so much destruction.  I hope you will go further than the President has in condemning what can only properly be called a military coup. I do not want to see my tax dollars killing Egyptians. Please call on the President cancel our military aid to Egypt.

Thank you for your service,

-Helder Weil

Before Massacre

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ds4bJPZTU6I

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5biOikc3qYo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ubsq6QROUVU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hzOjoSQPP8


After Massacre

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQJeyg3JJ44


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jboxxauBRQ


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBTPRmqGtiw&list=TLMFVd_8E2cWM


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hi_IuNa6Uzo


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MO_ucimreZs


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQi3yC0NGq0


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wh2ZBsNY5pw&feature=share

Schakowsky: Colorado Shootings

Dear Jan Schakowsky,

Since the movie theater shootings in Colorado, where I grew up, I have been waiting patiently for one of my elected representatives to step forward and say what needs to be said about assault weapons. These guns are not for hunting, they are not for self defense, they are designed to do one thing: massacre. These guns and the expanded capacity ammunition clips are an abomination. That we, as a society,  equivocate about the efficacy of banning such weapons speaks to our own ignorance, to a failure of leadership among those who represent us and, more than anything, to the cynical and corrupting power of the gun lobby.
When I searched your website for 'shooting, Colorado' I came up with two press releases. The first was written a few weeks ago, the second was written in 1999 and spoke of your disgust for the violence of the Columbine  shootings and affirmed your desire to ban assault weapons. I urge you to revisit that press release and to reaffirm your call to ban assault weapons. I would be very pleased to see you sponsor legislation to that end.

We should know by now that deranged killers such as Mr. Holmes cannot and will not be detected until it is too late and that the only way for us to prevent these tragedies is to ban the sale of the weapons and ammunition clips that make them possible. Thank you for your service.


-Helder Weil

To Kirk "hit 'em again"-style sanctions in Iran

Dear Senator Kirk,

I'm conflicted about sanctions on Iran. On the one hand it seems counterproductive that we tacitly support Israel's nuclear programs and deny Iran's. On the other hand I do not support nuclear arms for any country. But I think it a bit irresponsible to take a 'Hit 'em again!' attitude towards sanctions on Iran. If there's anything the last few years have taught us it is that banks who cannot lend hurt everybody, including the most vulnerable in society. I would suggest to you that, at the very least, it is irresponsible to call for more sanctions without acknowledging the grave consequences such action has on the people of Iran. We need to consider that aspect of this issue as we decide how best to address the challenge Iran poses and in so doing consider the alternatives such as working with our allies in the region to bring an end to nuclear arms in the ENTIRE region, including Israel.

Thank you for your service,

Schakowsky: Price Walsh Letter don't cut aid to Palestinian Authority.

I just called my representative, Jan Schakowsky's DC office with the following message. (This in the advent of the UN vote concerning the recognition of Palestinian statehood): 

"I'm calling with a request: I request that Representative Schakowsky join the Price Welch letter. I don't believe we should cut aid to the Palestinian Authority, this will not foster good will in Palestine or the Middle East in general  and will hurt the Palestinian people who deserve better." I then left my name and address and informed the person I spoke with that I am a constituent.