AND WHAT ELSE? I have, it appears, been living under a somewhat naive assumption that when people choose to come to the United States of America they were each required - by law - to have in their eager little hand a small booklet form, gussied-up a bit in green material with gold lettering on the cover and a feel of parchment-like paper impressively embossed with names people whom they would never get to see, much less come to know in their new land. In my limited view of the world of travel , I , somehow gathered that
without a passport booklet you did not board the plane, ship, bus, canoe or
pogo stick on which you expected to travel.
Now, here in the tag end of the year 2006, I find a headlined revelation which lets me know rather abruptly: "U. S. to Implement Passport Requirements."Home Secretary Michael Chornoff made the announcement early saying it was a "critical next step" to help[to assure national security.
At the present time we have over eighth thousand entities which
are printing and distributing millions of birth certificates and local driver's licenses. It is virtually impossible for our Custom Officials to determine which of these document is a counterfeit and which is authentic . The present system accepts such proof of identity for many of those who wish to cross our borders. It would seem that as long as such a child-like provision is our strong point we had best ease off on all such guardianship and use such funds for other purposes. To continue such a farce is negligence.
One out of every four Americans now have passport documents. Some complain about them as being too expensive, but most think of them as costly necessities when traveling in foreign lands. Our Congress mandated the start of this "passports only" program for 2004 but the date has been, and still is, considered to be "in question."
Eve now when the Commission itself has stated (Sept 11th): "For Terrorists travel documents are as weapons." we are still being told that :" you can expect Homeland Security require all travelers entering the U.S by land or sea, including Americans to show passports or Alternative Security Cards starting as early as January 2008.
2004 - 2008! Does that strike you as being soon enough?
Andrew McCaskey amccsr@adelphia.net 11-22-06 [ c402wds]
