Some American men seeking Internet-order brides find it burdensome, but the new International Marriage Broker Regulation Act, whose leading sponsor was Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., seems a smart safeguard against the growing problem of high-tech matchmaking that exploits and endangers women. “This is an unequal partnership where you have somebody dependent on somebody else in a profound way,” Brownback told the New York Times. “It puts women at a significant disadvantage, in a potentially violent situation.”
The number of foreign women applying for permanent residency under the Violence Against Women Act rose from 2,500 in 1998 to 9,500 in fiscal year 2006. Meanwhile, the number of fiancee visas or temporary visas for spouses issued for women was 37,500 last year, up from 9,500 comparable visas in 1998.
Obviously, not all such marriages end up victimizing women. But it just makes sense that U.S. law would require, for example, a bride-to-be to be told of a man’s criminal record and marital history, or would limit a man to two visas for foreign fiancees.
Posted by Rhonda Holman
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26 Comments
Brownie is doing any Kansas related legislation?
Running for Prez in Iowa before announcing those ideas here?
Farmers looking for foreign brides?
What if she is hiding a criminal record? Does the guy know beforehand?
Seems like a lot of Americans are alone or need adoption, but people look overseas and internationally instead.
Hasn’t the net busted those “mail order brides” programs.
International hopefuls can join any personal’s website themselves.
There is always Brownback to save us, I guess.
Brownback has no problem with illegal aliens flooding the Kansas workforce unless their is sex involved. What a moron! Anybody who votes for this guy is a moron. Unfortunately the democrat party leaves us with little or no options because of the radical nature of their national base.
I’d like to hear MrC’s take on this (because he’s marrying a lady from the Phillipines).
My take would be the same as Hank’s on gun control: enforce current law, and there’s no need for any more.The vast majority of abuse cases reported occur when men cite “disability” as an excuse not to go to the bride’s country and spend time with her there. If you aren’t fit enough to travel, you probably aren’t fit enough to be married.Next, consider this–who do you think has an easier time getting into this country:a) The wife of a man who went to the bride’s country and got married there; orb) A man who brings a woman from another country here and agrees to marry her within 90 days or send her home.The answer is “b”. A fiancee visa is usually processed within 90-180 days; a spousal visa takes 9 months to two years.This loophole allows men to go to other countries (Colombia and Venezuela are the biggest destinations right now), bring women into this country for three months, then ship ‘em back when they get too uppity.I might add that this fiancee visa thing was started by the “family friendly” Reagan administration, because Moldova and other CIS countries started charging $27,000 for a marriage license.Still, I think these decisions can be made on a case-by-case, country-by-country basis.Another thing is that embassy officials are supposed to see proof of correspondence and support before allowing a fiancee or spousal visa. Of all the people I’ve talked to over the past 10 years, I’ve only heard of three times that actually happened.In my first time, we corresponded for two years before I went over there; this time, we’ve been at it for a little over three.I have no family or anyone else who wants to see me get married. My sweetie has a family who wants to see it happen. That is why, if all goes well, I will marry her over there.There are valid concerns, but I don’t think they are being addressed appropriately in this legislation.The fact remains, according to the U.S. Department of Education, only 1 in 200 marriages between Americans and Filipinas end in divorce.Having saved 199 marriages, I think I’m ready to try again ;)
“This loophole allows men to go to other countries (Colombia and Venezuela are the biggest destinations right now), bring women into this country for three months, then ship ‘em back when they get too uppity”
hmmm … I wonder if we could do that between states …
I do agree with Senator Brownback that fiancees/brides should be made aware of criminal/abusive backgrounds.Getting embassies to do that, would seem to be another matter.Better funding for the nincompoops in Lincoln would be a better answer.
Frankly, I just don’t trust the federal government to do anything right any more.
This is another case of the pendulum having swung too far in the direction of women taking over the agenda in this country. This law is not designed to help foreign women. It’s true purpose is to eliminate the competition for American women. Go anywhere else in the world and be amazed at the number of beautiful women. Why is this? It is because they eat healthy food and go to the gym and do not have children by deadbeat men because their government will not give them a check just for having kids. In other words, women in other countries have to pay a price for picking the wrong guy. In this country the government pays women for being stupid and then wonder why there are so many children without fathers.
Surely there are other more important issue for the Senate to tackle. Why is it that our Kansas politicians have to mess in peoples personal business.
It is my understanding that until someone is harmed in some way there is no crime committed. How then can you make a law to insure no crime will be committed? Are our lawmakers (like Phil Kline) now omniscient? Somebody needs to tell God that these folks are after his job, but tell him not to worry, their attention span is very long and some new idea will be along shortly.
The only people that are actively pursuing internet brides or mail order brides are the (Stupid People) churches.
Nathan…just a note:
If you’re reading, I refer you to gary g’s post above.
Wiseman,
Actually, mail-order brides have been around for a long, long time and were/are quite prevalent in certain areas, mainly those that don’t have a predominance of women. Those types of unions are still in existence today, and often those marriages prosper. Not my personal taste, but neither is beer.
Not sure what you meant by that, wiseman.
Gary G,
Are you trying to say that stupid women marry men who are even more stupid? Are you a case in point?
What agenda are you referring to that women are taking over?
Are YOU a deadbeat dad?
RD’s right.Actually, it’s prevalent now because the U.S. is one of the few places in the world where there are a roughly equal distribution of men and women.BTW, Wichita is one of only six places on earth where men outnumber women (and the third largest that doesn’t involve a prison).Consider the ratios elsewhere:Philippines: 70% female;Colombia: The ratio of women to men is 7-1 (15-1 in the Cali area).Russia and Eastern Europe: The average life expectancy for men is 45 years; for women, 80.
Mr.C,
Here’s to the hope of decent marriage, no matter where you found her.
But I’m curious, did you consider culture of the Philippines as a tourist before meeting her? It doesn’t sound like you visited the country before knowing she existed.
I think that’s missing in international dating. The idea of America nirvana for foreign women, but the lifestyle here stifles their culture. Place with palm trees, those things that define the Philippines as example, access to the ocean breezes and sunsets, to Kansas?
I’ve read bad stories how that becomes a terrible life. The good marriages don’t make the papers.
I think the process requires if guys are interested in “mail order” internatianally dating, they must have interest in that country prior trying to meet and take a female from there.
A passport showing the guy visited that country already, to be qualified for that international dating process.
But what’s the rule, people will do whatever the please and try to rationilize it. If meeting a girl through some broker…seems a broken way to meet a person.
I have been there before, Mrage.Don’t believe the stereotypes.The US Department of Education does studies every few years tracking international marriages, as does the government of Australia.The studies show that 1 in every 200 marriages between Filipinas and men from other countries fail.I met my intended through a friend there, although my first was a “mail order” (the catalogue was sent to me by a friend as a practical joke).She made the decision not to come here, for reasons I have posted elsewhere. I respect her decision and we are still friends.As I said before, if the current laws were enforced, there would be no need for any new ones.
mrc,
Maybe we should have a moratorium on all new laws until we learn to enforce the ones we have. Six months? A year? At the end of the time, perhaps it might be wise to rid ourselves of those that are archaic and not used. (In Kansas, if done by the states, that would include no ice cream on cherry pie.)
We’re law crazy here in the U.S. Not that we don’t need laws, but as someone posted, no sooner are they made than they’re forgotten and never looked at again until some cause major problems.
But then I’ve often thought our entire government needs an overhaul. Like having 2 presidents (co-presidents?), one from each of the 2 major political parties. For sure, nothing would get done. ;)
Rd, I know about the history of mail-order brides, is has been around at lease couple hundred years, it was indorsed by Churches because of their beliefs that a man should be married man and that made him a prominent citizen of the community.That idealism is old, it served for the times because of the lack of, but today it only serves as by choice, of course that is a right to have.Mrcontroversy, I know several lonely men that have tried these internet brides’ services, all have said that are a rip-off for one reason or another, all were using their churches to do this thru, all were failures because the church does not know what they are doing or knowing all that they were getting involved in, all have encounter frauds.It is “Stupid”
Wiseman,
“Stupid” isn’t true of all internet marriages or mail-order marriages for everyone. It’s your opinion. What is wrong is judging all by your second-hand experience with it.
Maybe you or they should go to those churches and see about making some changes.
Wow was this even a big national issue? It’s really almost pathetic that Brownback is finding things to protect women abroad, but won’t do a darn thing to help women at home.
The only good thing about this is getting the bride to be criminal records. However, with most domestic violence unreported and underreported, rapes unreported and underreported, I doubt this is really going to be all that helpful. Unless they’re trying to escape a potentially more gruesome place, most of these women will do a background check anyway.
How about Brownback concentrate on helping women in America?
I met my husband online, we’ve been happily together for going on 8 years. I have many friends who are the same way. You just have to be very careful about how you go about meeting someone online. So if I’m stupid, I guess the joke’s on you! He’s my soulmate, my rock…and people are envious of what we have.
Conversely my first husband, I knew him for 5 years before we married- dirorced a year after because of all the violence…and we never had a computer.
I’ve encountered three men with mail order brides from another country, and they were true assholes. They were the type that really had a need to dominate and control a woman (that’s probably why they had a hard time finding an American wife), I really felt sorry for their wives.
Sadly, Mary, there’s too many of them out there. For too many years, the services marketed to the control trip-types… something I’ve been crusading against for nearly 10 years.But there’s another side to this too… all I want is a woman I can understand, and too many American women misconstrue understanding as control.I don’t believe I can control the actions of others… on a good day, I might be able to control myself.
I’m not sure how someone trying to “understand” someone else can be misinterpeted as being controling. Care to give me an example?
That would take waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayto long to explain here.Next meetup, okay?