On 5/17/2008 4:40 PM John plucked Senior Frog's Magic Twanger and said:
> On Thu, 15 May 2008 19:50:38 -0700, Nonnymus wrote:
>
>
>> Bill wrote:
>>
>>> Nonnymus wrote:
>>>
>>>> Perhaps I just don't get it, but why would someone NOT have a passport
>>>> nowadays?
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Nonny
>>>>
>>> Ugh, this topic again. You're right, you don't get it. Here is
>>> the answer:
>>>
>>> 1) It is not a requirement that you have one.
>>> 2) Not everyone travels to a place that requires them.
>>> 3) They are not free (or close to it, especially for a family).
>>> 4) They have a limited shelf life, so if you don't need it and
>>> get it just for the hell of it, it will be valid for less time
>>> once you actually need it (never mind the short valid period for
>>> kids).
>>> 5) They're not trivial to get (as in you fill in a form and mail
>>> it).
>>>
>>> Is that good enough for you? When you start the "Nonnymus
>>> Passport Fund" and pay for passports for everyone who doesn't
>>> need or have one, then you can ask your question again.
>>>
>>>
>> . . . and when not having one is inconvenient, you get to moan and whine
>> about how you should be exempted from the need. I bet that the same
>> folk also don't get immunizations before visiting the jungle, resent
>> having to carry liability insurance on their auto and don't feel a need
>> to be registered or have ID to vote. It infringes on their "rights."
>> Nope, if you're going out of the country, a passport speeds things up
>> for you, the folk BEHIND you in line and for the poor Immigration folks
>> trying to process all those people.
>>
>
> I don't feel a need to have ID to vote.
>
> I guess you are one of those Republican bastards trying to keep poor
> and elderly Americans from voting because they have no ID.
> The Republicans figure they can stop many of the people I mentioned
> who would probably vote Democrat.
>
> Indiana just passed a law requiring ID to vote.
>
> Some of the ridiculous rules written into the law were:
>
> The authorities in Indiana wouldn't accept an expired passport as
> valid ID.
>
> The authorities in Indiana stopped many University of Notre Dame fro
> voting because they had driving licenses from out-of-state. Of course
> it was OK for the students to drive in Indiana but the students were
> required to have an official ID from Indiana.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
Sidebar. When you register to vote in most states/counties you are
mailed a voter registration card. The first time you vote, the volunteer
at your polling place will request to see your voter registration card,
along with a valid Photo ID. That was my experience here in New
Jersey. While the voter registration card is not required, a valid
photo ID with your place of residence on it is required.
During my college years at Duquesne U in Pittsburgh, PA an on-campus
polling place was set up for college students, Driver's License and
Student Photo ID with place of residence was required.
As a grad student at the University of South Carolina it was basically
the same. The only difference is I lived off campus in Lexington Co.
while the main campus is in Richland Co. I showed my NJ Driver's
License and Student Photo ID I forget how they did it, but in each case
my registration in my home town was suspended while I was away at school.
In either polling place the main concern was A) that I am who I say I
am, B) that I can prove my place of residence is legal for me to vote
at that polling place.
Regarding Passports, it is my understanding that by 2010 citizens
reentering the US from Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean must have a US
Passport. This will apply regardless as to how you got to those
countries. By 2020 all US citizens will need a Passport to reenter the
US from any country that is visited. These deadlines are fluid and can
be moved forward or backward in time. Why wait until it's crunch time?
I have a Passport; the last time I flew into Mexico the Passport line at
Immigration was shorter than the line with alternative means of
identification. There's a temporary perk right there. A digital Passport
is easier to process when checking in at most cruise terminals. They
just scan this page and have all the information including my Passport
photo. It takes longer with alternative IDs .
A Passport application can be obtained online at
http://travel.state.gov It's easy to print it out. The average
turnaround time is about 3 weeks. It's good for 10 years. I use it
anywhere a Photo ID Drivers License and a Certified Birth Certificate
are required. It's much more easier to present a Passport then the
other two forms of ID. To each his/her own. I think that a Passport is
more convenient.
--
________
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Brian M. Kochera
"Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once!"
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