We were living in a high rise apartment in NJ, overlooking NYC. My husband was working in a building next to the WTC.

At about 9am, our son called from London, telling me about the plane that flew into the WTC. I ran to the balcony and saw the smoke. I called my husband immediately; he told me he was in the subway underneath the WTC just after it got hit. The subway had to reverse, as it got a warning not to move forward. They got out at the station just before the WTC; he usually got off at the WTC.

He went to his office, not knowing what to do, or what was happening. There was smoke all over. Just then the 1st tower fell; and they were told by police to go inside, as there was too much smoke and dust. It was chaotic; his colleague suffers from asthma and she could barely breath. He stayed inside with her.

Just then all the phone lines went dead, or was too busy. I could not get hold of him any more.

Our son was frantic in London, as was I. I watched the towers fall, saw the billowing smoke and dust. I think I drank about 20 cups of coffee that day. Our family called from South Africa, but I could not tell then any more than what I knew; which was nothing.

It was a very long day for me. My youngest came home from school, we sat watching the news and waiting for a phone call from my husband.

At 9 pm he came home. He got on a bus to the Port Authority, then again to the George Washington Bridge. They then walked over the bridge, a few thousand of them. He was all dusty, stressed and tired. He could not call me as there were no phone lines available.

He lost a few friends who worked in the WTC.

Even now, I am still feeling the stress, shaking as I type.

That day we all became Americans in my heart. For weeks we had candlelight vigils for those who perished.

Please sign my petition and help us keep our son with us.

We have until January 7, 2008 to appeal.

My family has been in this country for 10 years. My husband and I are citizens.

When my son turned 18, he signed up for Selective service, as the law requires.

Shortly thereafter, he ran across a group of campaigners registering students to vote in the upcoming elections. They promised him that since he was registered for Selective Service, he was eligible to vote. This was not true.

At our family’s citizenship interviews, our son’s application was rejected after he volunteered the information that he had voted in an election. That he freely volunteered the information shows that he had no intention to defraud the government or anyone. Our many letters to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services have met with no reply. We have met with our local congressman with no result.

Part of the reasoning behind the 26th amendment of the U.S. Constitution in 1970 was that citizens who could be drafted to fight in a die for the U.S. should be able to determine its direction by voting. Can’t this logic be extrapolated to include forgiveness for unintentional transgressions that hurt no one?

We will present this petition to our senator and the INS. If you feel in your heart that you can support us, please sign this petition.
We implore you to look into your hearts as you read and see that this was an honest and innocent mistake and sign our petition in hopes that enough signatures will help turn the corner on this appeal process.

We are all good and honest people and just wish to keep our family together in this beautiful country.

With his brother, full of dreams and excited to be in America.

It takes strength to be firm,
It takes courage to be gentle.

It takes strength to conquer,
It takes courage to surrender.

It takes strength to be certain,
It takes courage to have doubt.

It takes strength to fit in,
It takes courage to stand out.

It takes strength to feel a friend’s pain,
It takes courage to feel your own pain.

It takes strength to endure abuse,
It takes courage to stop it.

It takes strength to stand alone,
It takes courage to lean on another.

It takes strength to love,
It takes courage to be loved.

It takes strength to survive,
It takes courage to live.

(Author unknown)