Late yesterday I wrote a short post (here) about how Donald Trump is proposing that potential immigrants take and pass a civics test in order to enter the U.S.
If you’re not from the U.S., you might be wondering, “What’s the big deal, Fandango? People from other countries who want to be citizens in my country need to take a test before they can become a citizen here.”
And you’d be right to ask that. Many countries around the world require that people who wish to become citizens of those countries must take and pass a citizenship test. So does the United States. “So why, Fandango, does what Donald Trump wants to do have your panties all in a bunch?”
The simple answer is that what Trump is proposing has nothing to do with becoming a citizen of the U.S. It’s about being able to even legally enter the U.S.
Let’s take a step back. Before someone can even apply for citizenship in the U.S., they must first get what is called a “green card,” which is a document that someone must get in order to be granted the right to live in the United States. Depending upon the situation, that can take up to six months.
Once an immigrant has been granted a green card, he or she will have to be a “permanent resident” of the U.S. for five continuous years before they can even apply for naturalization. That application process can take between six months to a year or more.
After that application has been approved, at least six years after coming into the country, only then will the immigrant be required to take the citizenship test. And assuming they pass, they’ll have to wait another six months to two years after that be sworn in as a naturalized American citizen.
But what Donald Trump wants to do is have potential immigrants take a US civics test before all that. Before they even start the process of applying to be a resident.
And that, my friends, is what has my panties all in a bunch.
Hmm. I wonder if this “civics test” will be available in languages other than English.
This, That, and the Other 
We’ve been through this with my daughter in law from Canada, born in France, married to my son 3 years. The paperwork is horrendous expensive and time consuming. Trump’s pushing the idea of moving to France.
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I wish I had living relatives in another country that would give me a destination to emigrate to.
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It’s been going on for five years already.
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What has? This implies that Trump’s idea dates from the Obama years. Do I misread?
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No, she’s referring to what her daughter-in-law from Canada.
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Oh. Whoops. Ugh. Yes, concur, the situation is ridiculous.
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Well documented, Fandango! I must say I had my suspicions about the same when I read of his yet another ‘great’ idea to trip up immigrants’ desires to become Americans.
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The Vietnamese girl who cuts my toenails was telling me how much harder it is now to become a citizen. She said that now you not only need to know the facts, but you also need to know why these events took place.
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I wish I had someone to cut my toenails, but all I have is a toenail clipper.
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It is difficult for me to communicate with her because of her accent. She told me that her name was Tiffany and I thought she said Chick-fil-A and I said why would your parents name you that. But now I just associate her name with having breakfast.
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You are a crazy man…in the best possible sense.
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I am feeling the crazy today.
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Worthy panty bunch! Thanks for the civic lesson.
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I’m sure there’s a way around it, such as a donation to his campaign wink wink.
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The more difficult entering the United States can be made, the more he and his kids can exact.
He already has a wife, so that’s not an option… …although…
[One of the two [I think it’s only two] stories I wrote for this blog site brain storms about this.]
By the way, I was listening to online news last night talking about rich foreigners coming to American cities, driving up the prices of homes in the cities. There are incentives somehow through taxes to put money in the cities. And there are ways to get citizenship by plunking in money. The prices I’ve seen can be a pittance compared to how wealthy such foreigners are (but quite prohibitive compared to most Americans).
Usually, the money is supposed to benefit (theoretically) the cities involved (most especially the regular people there). This isn’t always realized in outcome (or really adhered to in process), of course. But Trump’s family has demonstrated grubby open hands for personal gain.
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Exactly. His goal is always to monetize any process for himself and/or his kids. He dgafs about this country and he is no Christian. He continually dupes his base day after day, and many in his admin know and don’t care because they are also profiting and/or because they are “true believers” who think any path to the righteous goal of turning the US into a Christian theocracy is justified.
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Some of them probably want a theocracy. Others are happy to undermine a functioning government — the better to oppress the little guys (and women and the children).
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“…any path to the righteous goal of turning the US into a Christian theocracy is justified. But ask them how they feel about countries that are Islamic theocracies (e.g., Saudi Arabia), and they think that is just fine and dandy., too. As long as those damn Muslims stay away from the good old US of A.
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I think the difference is that they are rich and work with “us” (on matters of wealth). This is the top value; everything else is to pull along those who are less informed.
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Try moving to Canda and discover the same laws, only possibly MORE draconian. This is not new in the world — just newer HERE. We’ve always been very open to immigration, much more than other English-speaking countries. But you see — we NEEDED immigrants. Now, not so much.
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https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/5/10/1856705/-The-FBI-is-investigating-whether-Florida-spa-owner-funneled-money-from-China-to-the-Trump-campaign
Here’s a story related to the campaign rather than the Trump kids and their own wealth.
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… while it’s still somewhat connected to Trump personal wealth because Mar-a-Lago is involved too.
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… and the inauguration fund. One of the examples:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2018-02-15/a-chinese-company-has-conquered-a-piece-of-america
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Most countries have similar requirements and in many, you will NEVER get citizenship, no matter how long you live there — Canada, for example — unless you have a special skill they want. Also true in Australia and New Zealand. What makes this remarkable is that most native-born Americans couldn’t pass that test. I’m SURE Trump couldn’t.
Personally, I think before we impose this on newcomers, we ought to impose it on graduating high school seniors. Let’s see how many Americans have a clue about how this country supposedly works. That would make some great stats.
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“I think before we impose this on newcomers, we ought to impose it on graduating high school seniors.” I think that is an excellent idea.
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I should add that my father lived in Montreal and was married to a Canadian for 18 years and never got citizenship. It wasn’t even an option.
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Donald Trump needs to take a Civics CLASS. He is an idiot.
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