Thursday, April 28, 2016

GREAT NEWS. No more profiling.


Do Your Share & We’ll Win

We Persisted & Won - for Sherry Chen, Prof. Xi & our Children

   Our united effort succeeded AGAIN.  Read this NYT front page article entitled 
"After Missteps, US Tightens Rules for Espionage Cases"   It will mean that the prohibition against the profiling of Chinese Americans as spies, owing to our national origin, is a law that will be ENFORCED in the field.  

   This article begins with "The Justice Department has issued new rules that give prosecutors in Washington greater oversight and control over national security cases after the collapse of several high-profile prosecutions led to allegations that Chinese-Americans were being singled out as spies."

   "The new rules are intended to prevent such missteps .... All cases affecting national security, even tangentially, now require coordination and oversight in Washington.  ....  Peter R. Zeidenberg, ... , who represented Dr. Xi and Ms. Chen, called the new rules "a very positive step."

Does that mean "no profiling by National Origin"?

   Yes, but stay vigilant!   Our laws have always prohibited profiling by national origin.   However, lower level investigators, full of ambition for career advancement, could choose to violate the law.

   Now, the national oversight and control should stop most, if not all, such violations.

The heroes & heroines who helped in this Seminal Achievement

   They include:

1) Senators Carper, and Coons of Delaware, and 45 Congresspersons from many states including Ted Lieu and Judy Chu, who wrote to A.G. Lynch; &
   
2) 6 Nobel Laureates and a dozen winners of Presidential Medal of Science; Presidential Medal of Technology and Innovation, together with about 6,000 prominent AsAm scientists and engineers who petitioned to A.G. Lynch. 

   Next, I want to thank  "60 minutes" which was planning a program; Wall Street Journal and China Press which were (and may still be) planning detailed investigative articles.  

   I also want to thank individuals like Peter Zeidenberg, Jeremy Wu, George Koo and all those who responded to appeals by 80-20 and other organizations to donate to Sherry Chen and Xiaoxing Xi.

   Lastly & most importantly, 80-20 wants to thank Sen. Tom Carper of DE and his capable staff who strained their relations with the DOJ to fight for the Chinese- American community.   Senator Carper personally called Director Monty Wilkinson, Director of all United States Attorneys in the 50 states.  Tens of hours of a senior staff in his office were spent helping convey 80-20's messages to DOJ.

   A recent email from this staff illustrates how hard Sen. Carper fought for our community:

"Dr. Woo, 

I spent about 45 minutes on the phone today with our Justice Department liaisons trying to convince them to put something in a letter or email that relayed my characterization of the Wilkinson call.  Specifically I wanted them to send us something to articulate the process they went through to arrive at the "assurances" that race did not play a factor. 

At times, our conversation was very animated, as the Justice Department feels that they have been more than accommodating. . . .  Our DOJ liaisons told me that in light of our conversation and how animated I was about the matter, they would take back this request again and would try to provide me another update by the end of 
this week or early next week. 

Thanks,
xxxxx"   (a senior staff member's name deleted.  Emphasis was added by S.B. Woo.)

Do YOUR share to make the Asian Ams vote 
count on June 7th
                           
The date of the CA Democratic open presidential 
primary is June 7.  Be ready to fight.


S. B. Woo 

President and a volunteer for the past 17 years
80-20 Initiative, Inc.


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