Anyone can talk a good line. Sometimes it is the liars and con artists who seem the most sincere and convincing, but in the end, their products betray who they are. What they do, whether others thrive around them, what they create, what they leave behind . . . that is the true measure of any human being. That can not be faked. Here are some samples from the letters that Audrius' friends and neighbors wrote to the immigration court that give a small glimpse into what this man's products were. The following is a small sample of what others who know him and how he has lived his life here have to say about Audrius:
"Over the years I have gotten to know him as a kind-hearted, generous person. Audrius has always seemed a gentle and loving father. The generous spirit of Audrius was most apparent when he traveled 2 hours (4 hours round trip) with me to help search for a missing dog. The weather was extremely cold, rainy and windy. Audrius searched for about 3 hours at night in a heavily wooded area with harsh wind as well as cold and driving rain, all without complaint."
"Every afternoon he would go to school and pick up the children, take them to soccer practice, their friends' houses or home to do homework. He is a devoted father to his daughters. When he first started visiting our shop his youngest daughter would come over with him, following him around, almost worshiping him. When I was at the house and both parents were home it was Audrius that knew where the soccer uniforms were, when the children needed to be where. He fed them, did the laundry and his world revolved around their needs, his were secondary."
"What most surprised me about Audrius was his ability to go from firm mentor with my older brother who was having a hard time finding his way, to a caring gentle father when admiring the handmade beaded bracelets that his daughters had made. It seemed that no matter what the task at hand, Audrius has always been around to lend a hand. The stories of man who rescued animals, who helped my parents and brothers so much, and who most importantly was always there for his family, seemed unimaginable until I met him."
"When my father-in-law was dying and insisted on coming home from the hospital to spend his birthday at home I was helping him out of the car and he started to fall. Audrius was there, helping my father-in-law stand. He helped George into the house and made sure that he was safely settled. Audrius lives across the street from my late father-in-law's house. I have no idea how he got to George that fast, but I will be forever grateful for his help. He also offered to come over and check on George when I was not there and the nurses weren't scheduled. When George died, it was Audrius who helped us secure the house, drain the pipes and move things that needed moving. He asked for nothing in return. He is truly a good and honest man."
This from a teenager: "To me Audrius is a mentor and friend of great value. He has given me guidance in many ways. I have gained a great deal of knowledge, motivation and strength from being around him. He has driven me to classes and supported all my interests through advice, motivation or heightening morale. It would be a great devastation to myself and the town if he was deported."
"I watched his children for him while he went to cut down firewood on his property so his children could be warm this winter. He always thinks of others first. He treated my children like they were his own. There was never a time where he didn't ask , "How was your day?" to them."
"I was clearing some trees on the back hill behind my dad's NH home. Dad was a heart patient and thought he'd sit and watch me work. About an hour into the work, dad keeled over, falling between 2 logs, a branch jabbing his carotid artery. There was no way I could move him by myself. I called the FAST Squad. About the time they arrived, Audrius was on the scene. Nobody could figure how to move dad with that branch sticking in him. Audrius saw the predicament and removed that branch without so much as leaving a scratch on dad's neck."
"I write this letter not because I have to, but because a man who was always willing to help me at anytime needs my help now. I met Audrius through a few mutual friends of ours and became good friends with him, much like the rest of the town. He was probably one of the most amiable people in the state of NH. There wasn't at thing he wouldn't try his hardest to help anyone with, whether it was training dogs, construction work, or any number of things he is skilled at. Having him gone for nearly half a year now has only made this more apparent. In the time since he has been incarcerated I have had the opportunity to meet and converse with even more people who he has had an impact on. From his neighbors, to strangers, to the local police officers, nobody has an unkind thing to say and most have anecdotal evidence of his kindness. I miss his friendship very much."
"If he could fit into the uniform I'd call him an Eagle Scout, but he is more than that. He understands engineering, metallurgy, physics, machine shop, etc. I've been a shop instructor/machinist all of my life. I have worked on some pretty big projects, the last being the Hubble Space Telescope. I know my way around the shop. However, when Audrius is around, I’m the student. To put it bluntly, the guy is brilliant, And he has a way of showing up just when you wish he would."
That is just some of what has been said about Audrius by those who have known him. There are less complimentary things being said about him by two who took advantage of him and betrayed him and others who have never met him but have something to gain from his removal from this country. You may have run into those. If you have, how are you to know what to believe? There are at least three sides to every story and so, to know the truth, it is frequently necessary to look at results – not what someone says happened, but what remains behind, that which stands in testament to what is real. That is why documents and eyewitnesses are senior to hearsay. In Audrius’ case, I hold the documents. They, by all rights, should only be revealed in a court of law, but if there is yet another appeal of the judge’s finding granting Audrius deferral of removal under the Convention Against Torture, I will have to conclude that what is being done to this man has nothing to do with law or justice and will release those documents. In the meantime these are a few of the statements of eyewitnesses, of people who actually know Audrius, who were actually there and saw how he lived here and how he treated others. If actions speak louder than words, let Audrius’ actions speak for him.
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