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[Vanica]

http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews/article/571284/why_the_government_could_make_it_nearly_impossible_for_you_to_get_a_passport?page=entire

So the border fence is to keep US citizens locked in. What is a TEFLer to do?

[fladude]

They will be adding a CREDIT REPORT to it eventually too.

Its all about keeping the serfs on the plantation. The good news is the Government is failing. It can't pay its own debts.

We will see when the serfs wake up and demand some freedom.

[Vanica]

It is like keeping the slaves on the plantation, or behind the iron curtain. Also a way to collect a new database of info on everyone.

Can everyone here recall all their previous addresses? Will there be a problem if you resided previously in certain countries?

[Kornan DeKobb]

Glad I got out while I could.

Now if your passport expires while you are abroad and you can't answer all the questions, will they make you go back home?

[BadBeagleBad]

Before getting all up in arms, who are these people anyway? I am not saying it won�t happen, or that it couldn�t happen, but anyone can post anything on the website. In the title it says �could�,and if you take the time to read the State Department page, as I did, you will see that it is for people to can�t establish their citizenship by other means, such as a birth certificate, The biographical information requested about the mother is to establish that she lived in the US at the time the person was born, the information about a baptism, or other religious ceremony to to establish that the child was born in the US. That is what it is for, to establish a birth that was outside of a hospital, or not reported at the time. It is not so different from the affidavit of birth form for the same group of people. A form that has been in use for many, many years for people without a birth certificate. It is not entended for use by the vast majority of the population in general, nor for people renewing a passport. So, if you already have a passport, or can easily establish citizenship, then you are good to go. Another example of an alarmist story with a grain of truth, but loads of details left out. What�s the saying? Statistics are like a bikini, what they reveal is interesting, what they conceal is essential. I think that applies to this article as well.

[johnslat]

Dear BadBeagleBad,

Clearly you didn't read the posting rules for this thread: No reason, logic, moderation and/or good sense is permitted.

Please take your intelligence elsewhere

Regards,
John

[Denizen]

From the State Department website, the only recent changes are:

"Beginning April 1, 2011, the U.S. Department of State will require the full names of the applicant�s parent(s) to be listed on all certified birth certificates to be considered as primary evidence of U.S. citizenship for all passport applicants, regardless of age."

I believe this will only be for those who have yet to apply for their first passport.

For other information in case this isn't an option...

http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/secondary_evidence/secondary_evidence_4315.html

[BadBeagleBad]

[Denizen]

'Short form' certificates were apparently honored in the past, which excluded the parents names, birthplaces, age and occupation.