I'm a a white Englishman, my wife is a white Englishwoman my daughter is a white Englishwoman aged 38 years who has applied for a passport to go on holiday to spain and she has been told that in order to get a passport WE her parents have to supply OUR marriage certificate from 40 years ago and OUR birth certificates otherwise my daughter cant get a passport.
thats ridiculous, when I applied for my first one, aged 30-something I didnt need any paperwork from my parents, I dont understand why theyve asked for that, she's an adult...
So being whaite lessens your chances of being a potential terrorist? A few years ago the main terrorist threat was caused by the Irish - who were almost all white. If you are worried about a terrorist threat, why not be glad that the passport office are being careful - rather than handing out passports willy-nilly.
I think the point lovejoy is trying to make is that we, the law-abiding majority, are being confronted with ever increasing layers of red-tape in order to do almost anything..........
Naturally, his daughters birth certificate should be enough to confirm her citizenship..........why on earth should he and his wife have to produce a marriage certificate ? What if there had been no marriage ?
What if there is a difficulty in getting both parents to present their birth certificates ?
In these days of many asylum seekers gaining a British passport by seemingly just asking for one, it seems a little unfair to expect the rest of the population to jump through these hoops.
Can't we just have a "racist rant" section on AB to save other catergories being clogged up with them?
Then all the bigots can get together and agree with each other that "immigrants have ruined this country" while the rest of us get on with what AB is supposed to be about.
lovejoy has a point about bureaucracy and identity. Since we don't have identity cards, it's difficult to prove your identity in this increasingly paranoid country.
A birth certificate doesn't prove anything about the holder - it simply records that someone was born at this date, in this place and that is was registered by these parents. Many people lose their original certificates and have to obtain certified copies.
If you've got photographic identification, such as a photo-card driving licence or a passport things are a lot easier.
If you don't have existing photo-identity documents then you're a potential terrorist, illegal immigrant or general ne'er-do-well.
They can take our lives - but they'll never take our freeeedom!
fact is, I agree with lovejoy, but for different reasons. I feel that by getting to this stage - passports, airport restrictions on water (FFS!), increased security and hassles- we have let the terrorists win. You might call it increased vigilance, I feel it's submission. The freedom we all grew up with is virtually gone now, as the public is living in fear.
Don't you get it??? We're supposed to be living in fear. The threat of terror is being over-hyped in order to justify the War on Terror in Iraq and Afghanistan, and to curtail our civil liberties. The argument the ruling classes want us to swallow is: If we've nothing to hide, what's not to like?
The best example I can give you of this goes back around three years ago when the US Govt were advising their citizens to stock up tinned food and bottled water, our Govt were sending tanks into Heathrow. We are being had!! The red tape is about curtailing our freedoms and finding out about you and me - not about catching or preventing terrorists.
you are quite right confused my lancastrian daughter isn;t applying to b be a CIA agent or to move to live in Moscow, for ***** sake she just wants to go to Benidorm for a fortnight