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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
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OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613 |
I can't stand it any more: I found out a couple of months ago that Anu is now an American citizen! I asked him to post it, but he didn't; but neither did he say he'd rather I didn't; and with this week's theme, I was so strongly reminded of it that I couldn't resist making this post.
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Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 293
enthusiast
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enthusiast
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 293 |
Congrats to Anu. That is quite a feat!!
Those of us who have been 'born' into US citizenship do not have a proper appreciation for the effort involved in acquiring citizenship.
"I am certain there is too much certainty in the world" -Michael Crichton
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Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 876
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Feb 2008
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I am, and I do! My husband was born in Italy and emigrated at age 2 1/2. He had a green card for most of his life (so far...), because he didn't want to pay the fee (about $50 then) and travel to Buffalo to take care of it. Don't ask why he had to go to Buffalo, because I'm not sure. Anyway, he was not eligible to vote with just a green card, which didn't bother him in his callow youth, but as he got older and took issue with decisions that affected him, but which he was unable to affect through voting, he decided he would take the plunge. Italy allows citizens to maintain dual citizenship, so he felt he wasn't losing anything, although he's never voted in any Italian elections. He was chagrined, however, to find out that the fee had risen to over $100 dollars. He became a citizen about 5 years ago, attended by me and our three sons at city hall, and it was a memorable moment. Only one problem: my vote now usually gets cancelled out by his! :0)
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
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OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613 |
Well, hey, good for Hubby! Even if he does vote the wrong way!;-)
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 141
member
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member
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 141 |
Thanks. Knowing the dismal voter turnout in elections, soon after getting the citizenship I sent this op-ed encouraging people to vote. They finally published it today (don't know why they changed the title I had given "Why You Should Vote" to something that doesn't make sense now).
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 956
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 956 |
Kia ora Anu,
I'd hazard a guess and say it's the PC brigade trying to distinguish between "Why You Should Vote"(something you should do), and "Sign up to be a poll judge" (something you might like to do). A slightly lighter inference (less political).
However, congratulations anyway.
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Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 390
enthusiast
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enthusiast
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 390 |
"I'm not sure I would have been as welcome, and as successful, in another country writing about a language that's not even my native tongue"
My first reaction to Jackies posting the news was exactly the same as that of your Canadian friend word for word, but even putting that aside I don't know why you make the above assertion given the long and successful history of the Indian Diaspora throughout the English-speaking world not just in the USA.
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Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,295
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,295 |
I'm not sure I would have been as welcome, and as successful, in another country writing about a language that's not even my native tongue. Dear Anu, you would have been just as welcome in the Hague. But due to our limited language territory the succesful of Awad and this kind of forum would have been problably nil.  May your vote add to get a better world.
Last edited by BranShea; 11/04/08 04:59 PM.
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