We are crying for joy over this email from John Wheat Gibson, and, dear reader, we thank you so much for your witness to the spirit of civil rights in Texas–gm
Feb. 29, 2008, 6:33 p.m. CST
To whom it may concern:
I spoke to Rrustem Neza on the telephone a little while ago. He is at home with his family.
John Wheat Gibson, P.C.
Dallas, Texas
(March 20, 2008) The attorney for Albanian refugee Rrustem Neza reports that US immigration authorities have resumed questioning his client directly, in violation of procedures that require them to notify legal counsel.
On the same day that attorney John Wheat Gibson expressed his concern in writing, he received an order from the federal district court of Abilene closing the case that sought to dope and deport Mr. Neza.
“I would appreciate it if you would explain to your client that it is unethical to communicate directly with an adverse party who is represented by counsel without obtaining the consent of counsel,” wrote Gibson to Assistant US Attorney E. Scott Frost of Lubbock. “In this case, your client did not even notify me of his intent to communicate directly with my client.”
Gibson explained that immigration authorities have asked Mr. Neza, to fill out a questionnaire with information that they already have.
After sending the letter, Gibson received a copy of the federal court order, dated March 20, closing the case that had attempted to get court permission to dope Mr. Neza for the purpose of deporting him in a submissive posture. Efforts to place Mr. Neza on a commercial airplane in 2007 were turned back because of his loud protests.
Mr. Neza has been seeking asylum since two of his cousins were killed in the aftermath of the assassination of Albanian Democrat Azem Hajdari. Mr. Neza fears that the same faction that killed his cousins and Hajdari will kill him, too.
Mr. Neza’s efforts to remain in the USA took a turn for the better when he was recently released from a year’s imprisonment at Haskell following a US House of Representatives Subcommittee Hearing that ordered a report on his case.
“It is clear that your client’s attempt to communicate [with] my client is nothing but a charade, so that the Bureau of Customs and Immigration Enforcement can tell the Congress that it conducted an ‘investigation,’ when, in reality, it has no intention of investigating anything, but only intends to rubber stamp the refusal of other bureaucrats to allow Mr. Neza to present his case for asylum to an immigration judge,” wrote Gibson in his letter to the US Attorney’s office of Lubbock.
The House Subcommittee on Immigration ordered the report in connection with a special bill filed in Mr. Neza’s behalf by Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Nacogdoches).
For more information on Mr. Neza’s case and Rep. Gohmert’s efforts to help him, please see the Texas Civil Rights Review index of documents, “Saving Rrustem Neza.”–gm
ITEM: “The Texas Democratic Party announced Wednesday it would hold a public drawing for tickets to next week’s debate between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton in Austin. The decision came after Wednesday’s announcement that the debate will be closed to the public and will be invitiation only.”
Wasn’t it Thoreau who said all voting is a kind of gaming — a vast lottery that should never be confused with an exercise of conscience?
To paraphrase a famous motto of cybernetics: “Lottery in, lottery out.”
Back when George Jones was a fresh-faced 59-year-old king o’ country, he did Zell Miller a favor and hosted a singing party in Atlanta to celebrate the Governor’s election. It was January, 1991 and the missiles were about to launch into Iraq. My friend and mentor Geri Allen was assigned to represent The King Center at the Governor’s inauguration party, and she took me along with her, since it was King Week in Atlanta and I did pretty much everything she asked. I remember that she wore an anti-war button which attracted a television camera or two.
Along with George came Marty Stuart, Alan Jackson, Dickey Lee, and I believe Ricky Skaggs. Was Randy Travis there, too? Anyway, it was quite a lineup.
What I remember clearly is that it was the first time I’d seen George Jones live and his voice was bigger than life. I simply could not believe the sound that came from that man’s living voice. I went home and scooped up every Jones cassette that I could find and listened to them over and over during my 90 mile commutes from Austin to College Station and back.
Some singers you need the recordings for, because that’s the best they sound. Not George. As great as he sounds in the studio, there is something about his voice that just doesn’t get adequately captured by any amount of electronic wizardry.
At the 2008 Austin Rodeo on Sunday, Jones was 17 years down the road from the Atlanta glory days, and who can take issue with the things nature does to a man. But still, there was a sweetness to the voice, and a slow-hand soul that still brings out the goose bumps, the tears, and the sheer joy of grinning at what’s beautiful to hear.
God bless you, George Jones, and the truck you rode out on. As you waved from the window of the official rodeo truck that spun you around the arena, we kinda wondered, did you get a call from Willie warning you not to ride in the back of that damned thing?–gm
NOTE: these reflections on George Jones were originally posted in the “announcements” section of the Texas Civil Rights Review. The reference to Willie Nelson should be better explained. At the March 4 Rodeo, after Willie performed an encore song with great-grandson Zach, “Take Back America,” the two Nelsons climbed into the back of the official Rodeo pickup truck for the usual lap around the arena. Only, what happened was that when the the truck came to the “speed bump” of wooden planks that was laid down over the concert wiring, the truck threw both Nelsons back on their backsides. Sure enough, they both jumped right back up, so the incident didn’t break the mood of jubilation that was alive in the crowd. But the more you thought about it later, the more it made you sore. And come to think of it, Willie was not able to focus his eyes very much on the people after that, although he kept waving and smiling to the cheering crowd. It was real rodeo work for the Nelson boys that night, and that’s for sure.
PS: What else would account for the fact that our busiest hour in history fell on Tuesday afternoon, March 11? It had to be the rodeo report that was added to the “announcements” section, with mention of two talented Texans, George Jones and Willie Nelson. We reported, you decided. After all, amigo, this is the Texas Civil Rights Review!–gm
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