Sweet Fellowship: Duggars and Friends (aka the Bates Family and Other Featured Families Thread)

[oliviabenson]

Listened to Heidi for 10 seconds. She sounds like a little kid. But Jill and Tim have more annoying voices. 

[AstridM]

1 hour ago, Zella said:

It's entirely forbidden for anyone. 

They allow it if the child is too sick to attend school and if the family must travel regularly, but they also require actual licensed teachers to oversee it, I believe. 

[oliviabenson]

What horrors to be deported to… Germany lol. Trace is moving to Germany would be my guess. 

[BetyBee]

6 minutes ago, oliviabenson said:

What horrors to be deported to… Germany lol. Trace is moving to Germany would be my guess. 

That seems like a great solution to me! 

[Salacious Kitty]

1 hour ago, oliviabenson said:

What horrors to be deported to… Germany lol. Trace is moving to Germany would be my guess. 

He claims that he will go to Germany. Good luck integrating there, you moron. 

[AstridM]

1 hour ago, BetyBee said:

That seems like a great solution to me! 

Poor Germany. But the child would have a far better life there, imo. 

[Zella]

1 hour ago, AstridM said:

They allow it if the child is too sick to attend school and if the family must travel regularly, but they also require actual licensed teachers to oversee it, I believe. 

Makes sense but that's more of a school from home situation than homeschooling for me. I realize this distinction may only make sense to me. 

[Salacious Kitty]

2 minutes ago, Zella said:

Makes sense but that's more of a school from home situation than homeschooling for me. I realize this distinction may only make sense to me. 

I read that they also don't permit distance learning, so I assume a child who couldn't attend school has to have a teacher come to the home. 

[Zella]

2 minutes ago, Salacious Kitty said:

I read that they also don't permit distance learning, so I assume a child who couldn't attend school has to have a teacher come to the home. 

Yes that was my impression and also why I wouldn't call that homeschooling. 

[beckie]

Honest inquiry,  if they don't allow home schooling or remote learning,  what did they do during the pandemic? (The Germans, not the Romeikes).

I think if it came down to it, Trace would really balk going to Germany. 

[AstridM]

57 minutes ago, Salacious Kitty said:

I read that they also don't permit distance learning, so I assume a child who couldn't attend school has to have a teacher come to the home. 

I think that’s how it works. 

[xwordfanatik]

Is Trace the one that always looked like a clueless dork on the couch with his big brothers?  I've watched a couple of the BUB episodes, and don't know much about him, other than I heard he was an attendee at an event in January a couple of years ago.

[AstridM]

Just now, xwordfanatik said:

Is Trace the one that always looked like a clueless dork on the couch with his big brothers?  I've watched a couple of the BUB episodes, and don't know much about him, other than I heard he was an attendee at an event in January a couple of years ago.

He sure was.

[sagittarius sue]

2 hours ago, beckie said:

Honest inquiry,  if they don't allow home schooling or remote learning,  what did they do during the pandemic? (The Germans, not the Romeikes).

I think if it came down to it, Trace would really balk going to Germany. 

He'll probably have to leave his guns at home too.

[skatelady]

2 hours ago, xwordfanatik said:

Is Trace the one that always looked like a clueless dork on the couch with his big brothers?  I've watched a couple of the BUB episodes, and don't know much about him, other than I heard he was an attendee at an event in January a couple of years ago.

Hmmm that description doesn't narrow things down very much

[Salacious Kitty]

19 minutes ago, skatelady said:

Hmmm that description doesn't narrow things down very much

He's the one who looks like a ferret. 😃

[sagittarius sue]

2 minutes ago, Salacious Kitty said:

He's the one who looks like a ferret. 😃

He's ferret-face Trace. 🤣

[TrixieTrue]

11 hours ago, beckie said:

Honest inquiry,  if they don't allow home schooling or remote learning,  what did they do during the pandemic? (The Germans, not the Romeikes).

I think if it came down to it, Trace would really balk going to Germany. 

I can answer this! Because I was working at an elementary school at that time. (American in Berlin). 

The school I worked at had teachers preparing all the lessons and teaching online, much like US schools. The parents weren't considered teachers, but rather supervising the work and making sure their kids attended the lessons. 

At some point, the kids were coming back to school, either two or three days per week. The school I worked at was a bilingual school and each class is divided into two groups, English mother tongue and English partner tongue. For many classes, like art, music, and math, everyone is together. But for reading, the kids stay with their mother tongue group. The assumption is that kids who speak English at home will need extra help when learning to read in German, and vice versa.

When the kids came back to school, they were with their native tongue group. So for one week, that group would come on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and the next week, they would come Tuesday and Thursday. They also had to wear masks unless they were sitting at their desks and they had to do a covid test each morning before entering the school.

Germany has plenty of English schools and bilingual schools. I think I have a higher quality of life than I would in the US. Being married to a German citizen means Trace won't have a difficult visa process and as a native English speaker, he could probably get a decent job, even though he's probably an idiot. Does he have a university degree? If not, that would limit him some, but not completely. 

[Notabug]

5 hours ago, TrixieTrue said:

I can answer this! Because I was working at an elementary school at that time. (American in Berlin). 

The school I worked at had teachers preparing all the lessons and teaching online, much like US schools. The parents weren't considered teachers, but rather supervising the work and making sure their kids attended the lessons. 

At some point, the kids were coming back to school, either two or three days per week. The school I worked at was a bilingual school and each class is divided into two groups, English mother tongue and English partner tongue. For many classes, like art, music, and math, everyone is together. But for reading, the kids stay with their mother tongue group. The assumption is that kids who speak English at home will need extra help when learning to read in German, and vice versa.

When the kids came back to school, they were with their native tongue group. So for one week, that group would come on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and the next week, they would come Tuesday and Thursday. They also had to wear masks unless they were sitting at their desks and they had to do a covid test each morning before entering the school.

Germany has plenty of English schools and bilingual schools. I think I have a higher quality of life than I would in the US. Being married to a German citizen means Trace won't have a difficult visa process and as a native English speaker, he could probably get a decent job, even though he's probably an idiot. Does he have a university degree? If not, that would limit him some, but not completely. 

Thanks for the info.  Trace Bates was homeschooled and has some sort of high school diploma or GED.  He attended Crown College which is a religion based higher education facility.  However, he was only there for a year or so, and doesn't have a bachelor's degree.  Instead, he has some sort of certificate in Bible studies or similar.  I doubt most German employers would be impressed.

Here in the US, most employers would not consider him to be college educated, IMO, even though he might have what could generously be called an Associates Degree.

Edited September 23, 2023 by Notabug

[OpieTaylor]

Trace and his wife don’t need to move to Germany do they? Can’t she stay virtue of their marriage?

[Notabug]

19 minutes ago, OpieTaylor said:

Trace and his wife don’t need to move to Germany do they? Can’t she stay virtue of their marriage?

No, she cannot.  She came to the US as a minor with her parents.  They didn't immigrate through the usual channels, but, instead sought asylum as refugees because German law didn't permit them to homeschool their kids and they refused to send them to regular accredited schools.  They were here for about 5 years pursuing this special status so they could jump the line.  In the end, the courts denied their petition and declared they did not meet the criteria for asylum.  They appealed to the US Supreme court which declined to hear their case.  Boom!  Done! From that point on, they were here in the US without legal status and eligible for deportation at any time.  ICE granted them deferred status at the time they got their final denial which only means that their deportation was deferred, not that they could stay here legally.  They chose to remain in the US anyway and did not pursue the usual legal channels for immigration.

So, when Lydia and Trace got married, she was not in the US legally.  Yes, Trace, as a US citizen, could've sponsored her and gotten a K-1 visa for her as his fiancee which would've eventually put her on the path to legal status even citizenship.  But,  I presume because her family wanted to continue to claim martyrdom and persecution due to their religious beliefs, that didn't happen.  He could start the process at any time, but, she would have to return to Germany to start the application, I believe, and the fact that she has lived in the US without documentation for a number of years would be a big mark against her application.  

At this point, the Romeikes are NO DIFFERENT than anyone who has fled across the US border from Mexico and lived here without documentation for years.  The US government doesn't permit them to marry Americans to circumvent the law and there is no reason Lydia and her family to be granted exceptions either.

Edited September 23, 2023 by Notabug

[oliviabenson]

Trace is barely high school level education wise. 

It’s not his fault his parents didn’t educate him properly.

[Natalie68]

7 hours ago, TrixieTrue said:

I can answer this! Because I was working at an elementary school at that time. (American in Berlin). 

The school I worked at had teachers preparing all the lessons and teaching online, much like US schools. The parents weren't considered teachers, but rather supervising the work and making sure their kids attended the lessons. 

At some point, the kids were coming back to school, either two or three days per week. The school I worked at was a bilingual school and each class is divided into two groups, English mother tongue and English partner tongue. For many classes, like art, music, and math, everyone is together. But for reading, the kids stay with their mother tongue group. The assumption is that kids who speak English at home will need extra help when learning to read in German, and vice versa.

When the kids came back to school, they were with their native tongue group. So for one week, that group would come on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and the next week, they would come Tuesday and Thursday. They also had to wear masks unless they were sitting at their desks and they had to do a covid test each morning before entering the school.

Germany has plenty of English schools and bilingual schools. I think I have a higher quality of life than I would in the US. Being married to a German citizen means Trace won't have a difficult visa process and as a native English speaker, he could probably get a decent job, even though he's probably an idiot. Does he have a university degree? If not, that would limit him some, but not completely. 

He has no quality schooling.  

1 hour ago, oliviabenson said:

Trace is barely high school level education wise. 

It’s not his fault his parents didn’t educate him properly.

But it *is* his fault for not pursuing it himself once an adult.  You would think that he would recognize he is a total rube when around normal folks.  Maybe be embarrassed he knows jackshit.  Bless his heart.

Edited September 23, 2023 by Natalie68

[Notabug]

18 minutes ago, Natalie68 said:

He has no quality schooling.  

But it *is* his fault for not pursuing it himself once an adult.  You would think that he would recognize he is a total rube when around normal folks.  Maybe be embarrassed he knows jackshit.  Bless his heart.

This.  Just like the rest of us, he has to come to terms with the things his parents did wrong and realize that he is now an adult and it is up to him to fix himself.  Except he is lazy and entitled and was raised to believe that his parents were perfect and did an amazing job.  That he refuses to see the evidence that his parents made a lot of mistakes including not giving him the educational tools to succeed is all on him now.

[BradandJanet]

Trace should read Jill Duggar's book, but he probably won't.

Trace and his wife might get a gig on 90 Day Fiancé. Trace doesn't need to be smart to fit that show perfectly. The fact that they're already married won't affect the story line since everything is contrived anyway. They just have to try to be interesting.

On a different note, the Romeikes have two children who were born in the U.S. and have citizenship. Google says this situation gives dual citizenship, so they can return to Germany with no problems. Presumably, they could also return to the the U.S. later with the advantage of a decent education. 

 

Edited September 23, 2023 by BradandJanet

[GeeGolly]

I don't think this new generation of Bates/Duggar adults realize they're undereducated. Actually, short of maybe Jinger, I think they all think they are pretty damn smart. They've had advantages their cohorts haven't and have very little exposure to average folks in their age groups. If Trace compares himself to the likes of Timmy he's practically a genius. If Jinger compares herself to some of the college educated MacDaddy wives, she likely sees she was undereducated.

So as long as they stay within their Fundy circle they'll never know what they don't know.

[TrixieTrue]

1 hour ago, BradandJanet said:

 

On a different note, the Romeike have two children who were born in the U.S. and have citizenship. Google says this situation gives dual citizenship, so they can return to Germany with no problems. Presumably, they could also return to the the U.S. later with the advantage of a decent education. 

 

I'm sure it wasn't meant this way, but the education system in German is fantastic. There are plenty of bilingual schools or even English only schools if they want their kids to have a solid English education. But they want their kids to have a limited education, so they don't have a shot anyway. 

There are other EU countries that do allow homeschooling, so the Romaine family didn't need to go all the way to the US for that. They could have gone to Austria, Ireland, Belgium, Czech Republic (but kids still have to take national tests), and Hungary. In many of these countries, the curriculum must be equal to the school curriculum, which would be a problem for the Romeikes. 

I did a bachelors and masters in the US, and truthfully, I wish I had known about schools in Germany and done a masters degree here. It would have been cheaper and I would have received an excellent education, equal to the one I got in the US. 

 

[BradandJanet]

I agree that the German system is excellent and can accommodate and educate all the Romeike children well.  However, the two with dual citizenship could return to live in the US more easily than the others if they later choose to. And their schooling in Germany would be useful here. 

[sagittarius sue]

3 hours ago, TrixieTrue said:

There are other EU countries that do allow homeschooling, so the Romaine family didn't need to go all the way to the US for that. They could have gone to Austria, Ireland, Belgium, Czech Republic (but kids still have to take national tests), and Hungary. In many of these countries,

But there are all those heathen CATHOLICS in those nations, and probably the reason why Philip Rodrigues wants to be a missionary to the Hungarians.

[AstridM]

39 minutes ago, sagittarius sue said:

But there are all those heathen CATHOLICS in those nations, and probably the reason why Philip Rodrigues wants to be a missionary to the Hungarians.

But don’t they just LOVE having the opportunity to try and convert others to the correct Jaysauce?

[Salacious Kitty]

2 minutes ago, AstridM said:

But don’t they just LOVE having the opportunity to try and convert others to the correct Jaysauce?

I think they do it a lot less than we think. I doubt they are witnessing to a rando at the Laundromat (like someone else we could name). 😀

[awaken]

On 9/21/2023 at 8:47 PM, crazy8s said:

A thought - possibly the video of playing wedding is again Jill dropping a hint to tim and heidi's engagement without actually announcing it.

This is actually the third video broom wedding. First shortly after Nurie's wedding, then just after Kaylee's wedding last fall. hmmm

Olivia is 11 1/2 yrs old and playing let's marry a broom for at least the 3rd time.☹️

They’ve probably played broom wedding many times, and Jill’s just posted it 3x!  So repetitive!

[MunichNark]

Right so, I'll put my tuppence worth in as far as Trace Bates goes.

Our school system is actually one of the worst, if not the worst in Europe and if it feels superior to yours, that paints a terrifying picture.

We have major massive issues here, a teachers shortage crisis because they can't be arsed to deal with all that shite anymore to the extent that our fucking useless Government plans on forcing nursery assistants to teach primary children. Side note, our Kindergartens are just that - unlike yours, there's no teaching or quasi school. School here starts with 1st grade. Nursery nurses aren't in the least qualified to teach anyone anything. Fun fact, the shortages for nursery nurses is even bigger than the teacher one.

Your American High school diploma isn't worth shit here either. It's just the equivalent of what is GCSE level in the UK for those of you wanting to look it up. It's just Mittlere Reife, which doesn't qualify you to go to University outright, but you need further schooling. Our school system is 3tiered to allow for mental capabilities. Mittlere Reife is the middle one, mostly aimed for people who aren't academic at this time in their life. To go to University, you need an Abitur (things are so crazy here that you need that to be  damn cleaning Lady). Trace doesn't even have that to offer.

So for young Trace, if he wants to move to Germany, it will be a shit show. He can do this due to his German wife without much trouble, but........

He is simply yet another foreigner with no language or any skills. He would be able to get a job but it would be hard work, little pay, no glamour.

They won't get much money support either - Lydia will get "Buergergeld" which is the new name for the same shit - social security, plus child benefit. Living on that will be hard. Very hard. We have a massive housing crisis as well, with crazy rents so IF they get a place, it'll likely be in a terrible area.  I don't think he's eligible for any monetary support, but am not 100% sure here. There's a ton of rules to adhere to if you get social security too and you are absolutely expected to find work. This will be enforced too. Your rent is paid up until a certain amount and you get some money on top to pay your bills, but living off that is hard, even harder now with prices skyrocketing.

If they both move, it will be a delightful shit show for us snarkers. For them, it will be hideous and stressful. Not quite sure if I wish that on them, tbh.

 

[Dehumidifier]

3 hours ago, MunichNark said:

Right so, I'll put my tuppence worth in as far as Trace Bates goes.

Our school system is actually one of the worst, if not the worst in Europe and if it feels superior to yours, that paints a terrifying picture.

3 hours ago, MunichNark said:

So for young Trace, if he wants to move to Germany, it will be a shit show. He can do this due to his German wife without much trouble, but........

He is simply yet another foreigner with no language or any skills. He would be able to get a job but it would be hard work, little pay, no glamour.

 

Some Americans idealize Europe. I doubt that most posters saying the German education system is better have any actual knowledge of it.

Trace's work in the US is in small construction jobs; I doubt he considers it glamorous.

Edited September 24, 2023 by Dehumidifier

[TrixieTrue]

11 hours ago, BradandJanet said:

I agree that the German system is excellent and can accommodate and educate all the Romeike children well.  However, the two with dual citizenship could return to live in the US more easily than the others if they later choose to. And their schooling in Germany would be useful here. 

Yes, that's all true. And yes, if the kids are bilingual, that will serve them well in any country. 

Also, it's too late for me to correct it, but I called them the Romaine family in my post, not Romeike. It was auto-correct, not me! Anyway. 

Regardless, the Romeike parents want their kids to have a very specific kind of education that probably wouldn't meet the requirements of any school district. Their kids will be limited to what they're exposed to and won't get much beyond a very basic educational skill set. It's sad to see parents intentionally handicap their children and it will be very difficult for the kids to overcome it.  

 

[TrixieTrue]

4 hours ago, MunichNark said:

Right so, I'll put my tuppence worth in as far as Trace Bates goes.

Our school system is actually one of the worst, if not the worst in Europe and if it feels superior to yours, that paints a terrifying picture.

We have major massive issues here, a teachers shortage crisis because they can't be arsed to deal with all that shite anymore to the extent that our fucking useless Government plans on forcing nursery assistants to teach primary children. Side note, our Kindergartens are just that - unlike yours, there's no teaching or quasi school. School here starts with 1st grade. Nursery nurses aren't in the least qualified to teach anyone anything. Fun fact, the shortages for nursery nurses is even bigger than the teacher one.

Your American High school diploma isn't worth shit here either. It's just the equivalent of what is GCSE level in the UK for those of you wanting to look it up. It's just Mittlere Reife, which doesn't qualify you to go to University outright, but you need further schooling. Our school system is 3tiered to allow for mental capabilities. Mittlere Reife is the middle one, mostly aimed for people who aren't academic at this time in their life. To go to University, you need an Abitur (things are so crazy here that you need that to be  damn cleaning Lady). Trace doesn't even have that to offer.

So for young Trace, if he wants to move to Germany, it will be a shit show. He can do this due to his German wife without much trouble, but........

He is simply yet another foreigner with no language or any skills. He would be able to get a job but it would be hard work, little pay, no glamour.

They won't get much money support either - Lydia will get "Buergergeld" which is the new name for the same shit - social security, plus child benefit. Living on that will be hard. Very hard. We have a massive housing crisis as well, with crazy rents so IF they get a place, it'll likely be in a terrible area.  I don't think he's eligible for any monetary support, but am not 100% sure here. There's a ton of rules to adhere to if you get social security too and you are absolutely expected to find work. This will be enforced too. Your rent is paid up until a certain amount and you get some money on top to pay your bills, but living off that is hard, even harder now with prices skyrocketing.

If they both move, it will be a delightful shit show for us snarkers. For them, it will be hideous and stressful. Not quite sure if I wish that on them, tbh.

 

I'm in Berlin and yes, the housing issue is very serious. One of my students lives near Stuttgart and she works with interns at her job. It's a fully paid internship, but the rental prices are so high there that a room in a shared flat is about the same as my rent in Berlin. 

There were several teacher strikes last year here, and I've talked to parents and teachers about that. My accountant just told me that I could get a job in a school if I wanted one because they were so desperate for teachers. I'm a freelance English teacher and have been doing that for years, so I'm not unskilled and have the degrees to back it up.

Trace might be able to get a job teaching English online and there are several companies that have English camps in the summer and during school holidays where he could work. As a native speaker, he'd get hired, but he wouldn't be able to try to convert people or even talk about religion. He'd have to plan lessons and teach grammar. Somehow I don't see him doing that. 

 

Edited September 24, 2023 by TrixieTrue
A few mistakes, which is embarrassing since I just told everyone I'm an English teacher.

[MunichNark]

You can't just teach English just because you speak it. I couldn't do it either. He knows nothing of grammar as is clearly evident, he wouldn't be able to explain anything.

Was going to mention that the Bateses and Duggars pretend play at being handy man won't fly here either. Germany is highly regulated and you must have all sorts of qualifications to be able to be an electrician say, or a builder or some such thing.

I just googled where they are from - that really says it all. Near Stuttgart, making them Swabians which are know to be........ah........"special" people within Germany.

The housing shortage is everywhere though, they can forget about having a house, especially if they depend on social security. They'll live in a tiny flat.

Stuttgart is terrible for renting. Too many students about.

[Notabug]

1 hour ago, MunichNark said:

You can't just teach English just because you speak it. I couldn't do it either. He knows nothing of grammar as is clearly evident, he wouldn't be able to explain anything.

 

It appears that there are online courses for people who want to learn a new language that can be taught by virtually anyone who speaks that language.  There's a US TV show called Househunters International, that shows people moving overseas to do just that.  They're not certified educators in any way.  It seems like they are given a pre-packaged, canned programs to present to their 'students' and they mainly regurgitate the lessons.  However, most of the people on Househunters who are teaching English online are doing it in Asia or Central or South America in areas where housing is far cheaper than it is in the US.  I have a feeling they don't make much money doing it and certainly not enough to support a family in Germany.

[Dehumidifier]

Lydia is attractive and speaks the language. She would have to be the one to get a steady job while he mostly watches the baby.

Though it occurred to me that their adventures in Germany would certainly make interesting and possibly lucrative YouTube content; certainly more than what they put out now.

[BetyBee]

I have a hard time imagining any Bates teaching English. Just wait until Trace tries to explain the difference between when and whenever...since he sees no difference!

[GeeGolly]

Some of the most flexible folks have a hard time adjusting to new cultures and that is when they choose to move. I imagine someone like narrowminded and egotistical Trace would have a very hard time even without the stress of being 'forced' to move. But at least Trace and Ryker will be able to come and go and Trace likely will have to leave Germany, for a period of time anyway.

But I can't even imagine Trace adjusting to living in, say Canada, or even California really.

I think the fact that the Romeikes and Bates are screaming from the SM rooftops actually hurts any chance they had at staying. Now they can't find a shady good ole boy to help them on the downlow.

[AstridM]

5 hours ago, TrixieTrue said:

I'm in Berlin and yes, the housing issue is very serious. One of my students lives near Stuttgart and she works with interns at her job. It's a fully paid internship, but the rental prices are so high there that a room in a shared flat is about the same as my rent in Berlin. 

There were several teacher strikes last year here, and I've talked to parents and teachers about that. My accountant just told me that I could get a job in a school if I wanted one because they were so desperate for teachers. I'm a freelance English teacher and have been doing that for years, so I'm not unskilled and have the degrees to back it up.

Trace might be able to get a job teaching English online and there are several companies that have English camps in the summer and during school holidays where he could work. As a native speaker, he'd get hired, but he wouldn't be able to try to convert people or even talk about religion. He'd have to plan lessons and teach grammar. Somehow I don't see him doing that. 

 

Trace can barely speak or write English himself, so this seems unlikely. 

[Lady Edith]

Here’s my question. If the Romeikes intended to stay here because of “religious persecution”, why did they not seek citizenship?  They had already been here for years, so it’s obvious they had no intention of leaving.  This all said, I have a dear friend who came here on a student visa.  They met their spouse, married, and started the citizenship process.  I understand it’s an expensive and time-consuming process. However, I know from seeing my friend go through it that it can be done and there is help out there to make it happen. My friend did not have Bates money, but still made it happen. You just need to seek out and ask for the right help. But this seems pretty typical of this crowd…skirt the law and/or the rules until they get caught, then scream “religious persecution”.  It’s not too late for them to seek citizenship. They just need an immigration attorney to help guide them through the process. But they probably won’t look for this help because it’s better for the cause to “woe is me” and cry persecution. 

Edited September 24, 2023 by Lady Edith
Clarity is important.

[Meow Mix]

Going back to Tim and Heidi, good lord that woman's voice.  It sounded like she inhaled some helium before recording.  However, I was very surprised that she had such decent taste in decorating.  I fully expected a bunch of red white and blue and patriotic sayings all over the place.  I hope they can keep JRod out of there so that the place doesn't get cluttered up with fake flowers and other junk.

I was surprised that they have a Washtower.  I have one of those and they are not cheap.  I don't think it came with the house either, because the house seemed pretty bare bones when Tim bought it.  It makes me wonder if Tim has been saving his pennies diligently and may have a job that at least pays a little better.  If he cut JRod off from flowers, stuffed animals, and dinners at the NICE Olive Garden, that could explain why she is so salty lately.  Between that and setting boundaries with her regarding social media she is beside herself.  I honestly didn't think Tim had it in him.

21 hours ago, BradandJanet said:

Trace and his wife might get a gig on 90 Day Fiancé. Trace doesn't need to be smart to fit that show perfectly. The fact that they're already married won't affect the story line since everything is contrived anyway. They just have to try to be interesting.

 

They're doomed.

[Notabug]

59 minutes ago, Lady Edith said:

Here’s my question. If the Romeikes intended to stay here because of “religious persecution”, why did they not seek citizenship?  They had already been here for years, so it’s obvious they had no intention of leaving.  This all said, I have a dear friend who came here on a student visa.  They met their spouse, married, and started the citizenship process.  I understand it’s an expensive and time-consuming process. However, I know from seeing my friend go through it that it can be done and there is help out there to make it happen. My friend did not have Bates money, but still made it happen. You just need to seek out and ask for the right help. But this seems pretty typical of this crowd…skirt the law and/or the rules until they get caught, then scream “religious persecution”.  It’s not too late for them to seek citizenship. They just need an immigration attorney to help guide them through the process. But they probably won’t look for this help because it’s better for the cause to “woe is me” and cry persecution. 

Because, in order to seek citizenship, they would've had to return to Germany, apply through the usual channels and then wait their turn.  It takes several years for someone who doesn't have a job or a family member to sponsor them and guarantee they will be supported to get to the top of the list.  All the people with jobs, or admission to university or relatives who can help them adjust and pay their bills would go ahead of them.  The Romeikes have plenty of American fundies who are willing to petition the government on their behalf, go online and proclaim their martyrdom and such; but no one willing to say 'I will be financially responsible for these people if they cannot find work.'  And that is why they didn't go through the usual channels.

It is not possible to apply for legal citizenship in the US while living here illegally which is what they were doing once their appeals were denied.  Their deportation was deferred, not cancelled.  And, what was deferred was a forcible deportation where Immigration officers put them on a plane and wave 'bye-bye' as they leave forever.  They could've always self-deported by using their German passports and getting the heck out of Dodge.  They chose not to do that, instead playing up their tale of religious persecution.  It seems they even let their German passports expire and never renewed them. So, now, they can also whine that they don't have passports and cannot leave.  Which, while it may be true, is their own dam**d fault.

ETA:  I know a Ukrainian woman, who immigrated legally with her family about 20 years ago and is now a US citizen.  Her elderly mother, now 90, stayed behind because it was her home and all she ever knew.  Then, the war came and her mother was often without power or running water and there were bombs dropping and bullets flying all around her.  She was willing to leave.  My friend, her husband, their daughters and their husbands were all more than happy to have this lady come to the US and support her forever.  It still took almost 2 years to get her a VISA, even as a 90 year old war refugee with at least half a dozen relatives willing to contribute to her support.  The INS ain't foolin' around here and getting into this country legally is no joke.  BTW, her daughter finally went to Ukraine and brought her mother home to the US this spring.  Her mother still cries most days because she misses her old home and friends, but she is safe and her family is right there.

Edited September 24, 2023 by Notabug

[BradandJanet]

The sanitized version of the story is that the Romeikes were assured they would get asylum and now, without warning, they get a deportation notice. Persecution!

The Romeikes always knew they were in jeopardy. A Tennessee court granted their asylum status, but a higher court overturned the ruling. The Supreme Court refused to hear their case, but the family did eventually get a deferred action that has allowed them to stay. They do not have asylum. 

The Romeikes are supported by the Home School Legal Defense Association, a tax-exempt Christian organization, which pays their legal bills and issues favorable news pieces. I suspect the Romeike parents are fine with being a test case for religious home schooling, a notoriety that would disappear if they were granted citizenship. Apparently, HSLDA isn't concerned about poor or absent home schooling (cue Jill Rodrigues and others).

The Romeike supporters are also making the covert argument that these (white) Evangelical "escapees" from a democratic European country that offers a variety of educational settings are somehow more worthy of asylum here than (darker-skinned, Catholic) people fleeing violence in countries to the south.

Personally, I have zero sympathy for the Romeike adults; they can leave and take Trace Bates with them. 

[oliviabenson]

Bless Philip for his confidence in his singing talents of original songs. He really is out there sharing his singing talents with others. 

[BradandJanet]

9 minutes ago, oliviabenson said:

Bless Philip for his confidence in his singing talents of original songs. He really is out there sharing his singing talents with others. 

I'm sure the people of Hungary will be glad to know this. 

[oliviabenson]

9 minutes ago, BradandJanet said:

I'm sure the people of Hungary will be glad to know this. 

I don’t think he will ever get to Hungary. 

[GeeGolly]

I have a friend who immigrated from Nigeria and another from Vietnam. It took years before my Nigerian friend, "Olive" could get her mom here and even longer for my (very wealthy) Vietnamese friend, "Violet" to get her parents here.

Olive had a brother who immigrated to Canada, so they would fly the mom back and forth to Nigeria, Canada and the US, so she basically lived in North America for years before being allowed to stay in the US. Violet on the other hand, had a harder and longer time. Her parents only lived here for about 5+ years before they both died. She is still waiting for her sisters to come.

Whatever ends up happening with Trace and the Romeikes is going to be a long and stressful journey. They should just obey the laws and be thankful for the years they have already had here.