So you want to be a citizen

Today was a neat day. My friend Kim from when I worked in the ED became a citizen. It was a really interesting procedure. You arrive at 7:00am (Yess...I was there...not awake, but there!), and they separate you from anyone who has come to watch you get "sworn in". You stand in line to recieve...I am not kidding....a colored piece of paper with your green card number hand written on it, and an envelope containing a book on historical speeches, a copy of the constitution and the bill of rights, and the forms to register to vote and procure a passport (all of which are available online!) You then go find your "guests" in the huge basketball arena type stands, where you sit for 3 HOURS!!!!! Nothing happens until 9:00am, when they begin making announcements of who's lights are left on, and begin practicing the sound check with the pick-up choir (including 2 children in cut-offs) who will lead the group in the "Star Spangled Banner". At 10:00 am (sort of) the Judge arrives. He introduces those being sworn to citizenship who are already serving in the armed forces, but can't quite grasp that one of them is a woman, so keeps saying "The servicemen and the woman". He and the Immigration authorities read from the script back and forth to each other, then he calls his law clerk up to make a speech. The law clerk had a hispanic name, but as the speech unwound, it was evident his family had been in the US for generations...probably longer than the black judge's family!!! After that , we were all led in the oath, to which the respondents anwered "I will". Then we were led in the pledge by a woman whose mike was turned on half way through. Then the new citizens were dismissed according to their colored paper to go get their naturalization certificate.



The whole process both entertained and apalled me. How could something this important to so many people become such an afterthought to those planning it? But it was entertaining, and Kim is now an official US citizen. I guess we'll have to extend the citizenship to Miss Kitty, who came down at the same time. I'll put up her picture later (when I'm further away from being beaten.)