Becoming a Citizen

[blume357]

My wife and I were invited by two good friends to witness them becoming U.S. citizens this morning. I think this is something we all natural born citizens should be required to do. The oath they had to take was not what I expected in this day and age.

"I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God."

Another item that amazed me was that there are only two places in S.C. where this goes on... Up here in the upstate in Greer and in Charleston.... folks who became citizens came from 20 different countries. This ceremony goes on just about every week.

 

[skeeter]

So they make them swear to do things that our politicians don't do (support and defend the constitution.) Hopefully some will take this oath to heart and fight the domestic enemies.

 

[baronvoncatania]

Funny how you have to take that oath to become a citizen, but the president has rejected all that.

 

[Bear Paw Jack]

Funny how you have to take that oath to become a citizen, but the president has rejected all that.

Maybe he should consider becoming a citizen of the US.

 

[Badger Matt]

That would be a moving ceremony to attend. I'm certain you felt honored to be invited to attend.

 

[Kevin]

My wife went through that in Seattle. I remember there were some Canadians among others. The legal process is not easy or short. It took her 5 years. Not sure how long it takes someone NOT married to a citizen already. Or how it even works.

 

[6gun]

My wife went through that in Seattle. I remember there were some Canadians among others. The legal process is not easy or short. It took her 5 years. Not sure how long it takes someone NOT married to a citizen already. Or how it even works.

it is short now just sneak across the border and pen in hand barry will fix you right up with everything you need long as you vote leftie. :x

 

[WendyZXZ]

Sounds like a great experience all around showing how much they wanted to be American.

 

[Jeepnik]

And then when many of these new citizens talk about the country they came from they start with "In my country". And more than a few are still legally citizens of their birth country and claim "dual citizenship".

 

[blume357]

These friends of ours actually did go the 'dual citizenship' route... but understand it is not cheap or easy with or with out that and actually there is technically no duel citizenship it's just that their original native country does not require they turn in their passports or renounce their citizenship.
But if you read the oath... it is pretty clear.
The funny part is the man actually asked one of the interviewers at homeland security /INS the same question I asked him and his wife last night. They are from Germany and I asked what happens if we go to war with Germany again? The answer was that Homeland Security will come and ask you who you are going to support.... I replied... that depending on the answer ... will depend on where you end up and one of the places will not be Germany.

I'm pretty emotional and these type of events usually cause me to shed tears and yesterday was no different.

 

[Rancher Will]

None of my direct ancestors came to America after it became the United States. Some of them were here to greet the Jamestown Colonists.

My wife's Grandparents and her father came here from Norway in the 1920's. They were good friends of mine until they died. In fact I knew my wife's father two years before I met his daughter. Her Grandfather was a logger all of his life. My wife's father worked in two sawmills, one in Spirit Lake, Idaho until it burned down in the great fires of 1939 and then in the mill at NewPort, Washington until he retired.

After my wife and I moved to Colorado and I bought the ranch, my wife's parents came to visit us every year on the ranch, before and after my father-in-law retired, until they both died.

 

[6gun]

My ancestors came here in 1630 long before this was a country and helped build it into a country and fought in every war, now we have these Johnny come laity's who think they deserve a free pass for sneaking Illegally in and not contributing a thing only taking.

 

[george preston]

Had a buddy of mine go through the oath of citizenship. We were both on active duty with the 2nd MARDIV at the time. He a jarhead and me a squid. That short little Cuban jarhead was so happy even his Spanish was hard to understand

 

[blume357]

I know the illegal immigration thing is a big political debate / hot point here.... but these folks followed the rules.... they've lived here legally for over 15 years and decided it was time to do it... their son who is almost 15 was born here.

Here is my only other point.... when folks stop trying to get here... one way or another.... then we will know we as a country are truly in a lot of trouble or probably that it is really too late.

 

[6gun]

Blume those are the kind of people we should be granting citizenship to the ones that see becoming a citizen one of the greatest honors in their life time.

It's just to bad we have illegals that think they should be entitled to a free pass and take advantage of the system, only thing citizenship means to them is not getting deported.

The ones I really don't understand are ones like from the middle east or why they want to be here, they don't want to be American's they refuse to dress like Americans still wear desert rags and don't want to blend in like everyone else, they want to make their own little country inside a country the way they did in France, that's not being American.

 

[Ugly Hombre]

God bless um' You come here legally to live under the Constitution and live as a working American- Welcome!

I know many SE Asian people who came here after the fall of their countries to the Communists.

For the most part-conservative hard working people better educated about our country than many native born Americans. They know what leftist baloney really is and want no part of it.

I have a keg of beer waiting for a cute Lao lady to take her citizenship test.

Celebrate!!

 

[The Blackhawk Kid]

Hell the illegal mexicans can go to a mex consulate here in the USA and get a birth certificate so they can become a US citizen and get SS, welfare,all the services us natural citizens get! WtF! It should be near impossible to become a US citizen. Make em speak English, too. Like 6gun said the rag heads want to start their own country in our country. They screwed up their country so they want a new one to F up. Enough!

 

[dougader]

My wife passed her citizenship test in December with a score of 100%. She taught a couple separate citizenship classes so she ws used to a lot of the questions, but we still studied together.

They would have sworn her in that same day, but we had a scheduled trip to Ecuador and no time for her to get her US passport in time. They take away your Permanent Resident card (PR), or Green Card, when they swear you in and you have to wait for your new paperwork and passport to arrive. So we are waiting now for her appointment letter to go in and get sworn in. My family and some friends here will go with her on the day.

It is quite a process and not cheap, especially if you have to pay an attorney to help you with all the paperwork. I've worked in the legal field for some time so had no trouble with the paperwork. But the filing fees themselves are expensive. I remember just one of those applications ws around $1100 and acoupl ehundred more for one or two other applications. You start with entrance visas, Permanent Residency (PR, or Green card), work permits and a SS card. This includes a medical exam from a Dept of Homeland Security approved Dr. which was $400 in our area. My wife had to have additional xrays taken to prove she didn't have TB as the skin test was inconclusive.

Renewal of the Permanent resident card was another $600 and then the citizenship application was another $680. We hadn't been married for more than 2 years when my wife got her PR card so it was issued conditionally for only 2 years instead of the usual 10.

We decided to finally file for her citizenship last year after she'd been a legal resident for about 4 years. If you aren't married to a citizen then you have to wait 5 years; 3 years in our case as I was born here. I have family that came over from England/Wales in the late 1700's and early 1800's.

We're both really looking forward to this. In addition to the patriotic sense this involves, it's also nice not to have to worry about renewing residency every ten years for the rest of your life.

Congrats to your friends, Blume!