I just applied for a US Passport. I'm a DU Dem and have been to many...

[maveric]

anti-war rallys. I've written letters to congresscritters on both sides of the aisle about our involement in the illegal war in Iraq.(all civil and non-threatening).

Do you think that they will reject my application due to my politics and activism? I want to book my honeymoon vacation in Europe this September. If I book before April 14, I get 25% off. But the fee is non-refundable.

I'm really worried that if I book now, and my application gets rejected or held for review,we'll have to eat the $5000.00 for the trip.

Are passport applications rejected or "held" due to one's politival affiliations/activism?

[malta blue]

1. I can't imagine that your passport application will

be rejected. A visa to another country, perhaps - but a passport application - more than likely no.

[tinfoilinfor2005]

9. I got a Visa to go to Russia last year without any problems

even though I am active in DU and holler at my political representatives routinely. The only problem was that it pissed me off. The stay in Russia was only for three days, and only because I was traveling elsewhere on tour but Russia was a stop over point. They charged an obscene amount for the darned thing. None of the other countries required a Visa.

[DemBones DemBones]

17. Did you get hassled at the American airports, either when leaving or

returning? That's what I've wondered about, having not been abroad since 2000.

[maveric]

20. I've been pulled out of line several times before boarding.

A couple of those times, I was the only one pulled out for further inspection.

[tinfoilinfor2005]

27. No, only for sausage.

Read #24. :)

[babylonsister]

2. I wouldn't worry about it, maveric. I just mailed mine away to get

extra pages added, and had no problems (and got it back). Besides, the people working the passports might be outsourced/contract workers. I mailed mine registered, and CitiCorp stamped the return receipt. (mailed to PA)
They can't track all of us down!

[SammyWinstonJack]

3. Better to apply now and see if you get your passport. Losing 25% by not booking

your trip by April 14th is better than losing the whole amount, right?

[GumboYaYa]

4. I just got one....

I was going overseas to show a movie that challenges the existing political establishment in America. I bet you will be okay with your application. I have never heard of anyone being denied a passport for political reasons...now getting back in after you leave may be another story.

[Coyote_Bandit]

5. Got mine

about a year and a half ago without problem. It was required to board an American flagged cruise ship that only docked in US ports.

[tinfoilinfor2005]

6. No. You haven't broken any laws.

I didn't have any problem obtaining a passport three years ago, and I too am active in poitical rallies, letter writing, etc.

You didn't say when your trip leaves, though. Since January, because of New Rules (thanks Bill Maher for the phrase), the waiting time to obtain a passport is longer than before. However if you want to pay a small fee (I think $70 ?) they will rush it to you very quickly.

[maveric]

10. September 17 is our departure date.

They told me that it would take 10 weeks. But for an additional $100.00 it would be expedited to 5 weeks. I didnt have the xtra $100.00 at the time of application.

[tinfoilinfor2005]

15. Oh, well, plenty of time. I think ten to twelve weeks is now the

reported time frame.

Don't worry but rather enjoy your preplanning time. Once you make a decision to travel, you are already on your trip! :)

[TexasLawyer]

7. I wouldn't worry

The passport office is experiencing delays, since more people are applying as a result of new passport rules. Timing would be my only worry if my trip was coming up soon. But I think you'll have no problem if you have until September.

If there is a hold-up beyond 3 months, call your congressman's office.

Also the US State Dept. has a new feature where you can check on the status of your application.

[Dr.Phool]

8. This was posted here yesterday.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=603241

A local activist thinks the federal government is trying to prevent him from leaving the U.S. because of his anti-war efforts that included displaying pictures of Iraq war victims.

Thomas Hays, 38, says he applied for a passport with his birth certificate, Social Security card and Washington state identification card in February. He then received a surprise in the mail at the end of the month when the government said it needed much more documentation -- some of which is difficult to quickly obtain -- to give him a passport.

The State Department says it wanted Hays to provide "school transcripts, high school yearbook pages showing your name and photograph, religious records, medical records, (and) tax/employment records."

All the records, including a full residential record and the names, addresses and phone numbers of immediate family, had to be submitted within 30 days. Hays submitted as much information as he could, but a full employment record has to be obtained through the Social Security Administration, which can take three to six weeks and cost $52.50.

Hays, who says he was "born, bred and raised in Missouri," was distressed because he is planning an accredited trip through Evergreen State College for the Group of Eight Summit in Germany in June followed by a trip to Mexico. Now his hopes of using his non-refundable $1,110.30 airline tickets could be dashed.

(snip)

Keep us posted. I'm going to be applying soon myself.

[tinfoilinfor2005]

12. Weird. Never heard of anyone else having to do this.

I always assumed that there were standard requirements for obtaining a passport. Wouldn't there be a specific Federal protocol to follow?

[DemBones DemBones]

25. They want his RELIGIOUS records?

I thought we had freedom of religion. . .

MEDICAL records? Don't we have privacy rights there? What does that have to do with getting a passport? What does any of the requested info have to do with getting a passport?

School transcripts? Wow, I was sent to the office twice in high school for passing notes, would that keep me from getting my passport renewed again??? What IS in our permanent records, anyway?

(After all these years, I'm still annoyed about those incidents because both times I was the receiver of a note, not the originator, and the other person wasn't sent up for it! Injustice!)

[geardaddy]

28. They're probably giving him a hassle

because he is going to the G8.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

11. Just renewed mine a few months back and I had no problem

I doubt you'll run into any snags.

[irish.lambchop]

13. I wouldn't be too concerned if I were you

which his the same thing I told my son - he's applying for his passport and was worried because he has a politically active/involved mother. I got my passport renewed recently with no problem. What a damn shame that it's come to this, huh? Congrats on your upcoming wedding, btw, and have a fantastic honeymoon in Europe!!

[demnan]

14. I just got mine

and I'm an impeachment activist. Now whether I can get back in the country after I leave is another question. I'll find out in May.

[DemBones DemBones]

16. Mine was renewed without any problem.

Can you get trip insurance that will cover that possibility? We had to cancel our last trip abroad for medical reasons and that $200 paid for the insurance was all we lost. It was the only time we'd bought trip insurance. I just had a gut feeling we should.

Of course I wondered then and still wonder if we would have been hassled entering or leaving our own country, just for writing to our elected "representatiaves" and/or sites we visit online. You'd think they'd look for people with terroristic intent, people who visit really extremist websites.

During the last campaign, Dennis Kucinich was pulled out of line and searched every time he flew. People would recognize him and call out "Why are you being searched?" and he'd grin and call back "I'm running against *"

[tinfoilinfor2005]

24. I've traveled abroad a great deal in the last three years, and

never had a bit of problem, as much as an activist as I am. The only problem I ran into coming back from my trip last year to Russia, Estonia, Finland and Latvia was the homemade sausage that my aunt stuck in my suitcase for my return trip. It immediately got the attention of every drug dog in the airport in Detroit, Michigan, :). The dogs almost knocked over passengers in their rush to get to my suitcases, haha! Fortunately I had claimed it minutes before on the paper they give you. Had I not done that, it would have been a $100 fine. They don't tell you that until after the fact, so I was smart enough not to try to sneak it in. Still wouldn't let me keep the sausage, because of the meat rule. And even though I lobbied on the dogs' behalf, the lady smiled and said that she wouldn't mind but that it was against the rules, so they would have to dispose of it.

[DemBones DemBones]

26. I love it! Drug dogs sniff out homemade sausage!

I'm picturing this huge pack of Labs and Dobies rushing your suitcase on the carousel.

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:


I always suspected the best-trained drug dogs could be distracted because I own a Lab and she can find anything. We don't keep her rawhide chews in the same place all the time but she can always figure out where they are. She's been known to go nuts in the laundry room, standing on her hind legs and sniffing the air, whining, until I found a tennis ball or something else she'd once played with, tucked away on a shelf.

It gets old having to find her damn toys, especially when she loses them under furniture and I have to try to get them out with a broom handle because she can't reach them. But of course we love her madly and are now preparing special foods for her -- no more pet food for our girl!

But I'd have wanted the drug dogs to have the sausage, too!

[Wiley50]

34. I Flew To Boston with a Tennessee Country Ham for Xmas on year

I also had country cured sausage and bacon

Not to mention my weed stash in a deodorant push up stick

all in my carry on

When I went through the scanner the old black guy screener said

"Got a HAM in that bag"

My stash arrived safely

[DemBones DemBones]

37. Pretty clever! I wonder if drug dogs would have

busted you? I know they'd have found the ham!

[SoCalDem]

18. Nope.. Your passport will be processed like any other

However, it 's taking a lot longer these days, so i hope you have plenty of time before you actually need it.

[roody]

19. I renewed a year ago and had been to Cuba

with Pastors for Peace in an act of public disobedience. Renewed with no problem. To quote a friend, "You act like all those government employees are doing their jobs!!"

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

21. As a rule of thumb...

...do not book tickets until you have a passport and whatever documentation (visas, etc) you will need for any trip. It's just not worth the potential waste of money.

As for your passport, I doubt you'll have any trouble, but the above rule is still handy.

[AlCzervik]

22. I got mine last January with no problems at all, i had in 3 weeks. It will take longer now

to get yours because so many people are applying for them but i've been to anti-war rallies and written my reps and some other reps as well.

[Aristus]

23. I renewed mine two years ago. No problems.

The Internet is jam-packed with LTTE's, letters to Congresspeople, and petitioned that I signed under my real name. If anybody did a quick Google-search on me, they'd find out my politics in a hurry.

Still, I had no problems renewing.

[mnhtnbb]

29. Renewed mine last Sept and got it in 2 weeks. No problem (no chip, either)

Used it 2 weeks ago to go to Panama, where we've opened bank accounts, because we are building a retirement home. I was fully expecting to get detained, but, nada.

[coalition_unwilling]

30. Since the U.S. Department of State issues U.S. passports (or at least

they used to before there was a Department of Homeland Security), I doubt the bureaucrats and technocrats there would run the risk of selective denial of passports, aka "politicization, especially after what has been happening with the Department of Justice.

Not only must they avoid politicization of the process, they must also avoid even the appearance of politicization. Remember, careerists like those who inhabit the U.S. Department of State above all look to protect their careers.

Having written this, based on a vulgar application of Max Weber's theories about bureaucracy and modern life, I also know that one of Hitler's strategies for consolidating and maintaining power was to pit various government bureacracies against one another. Thus, I would not be at all surprised to find out (perhaps 20-50 years hence) that Bush had set the Dept. of Homeland Security against the Dept. of State over just such matters as passport issuance (perhaps allowing Cheney's Office of the VP to be final arbiter in any bureaucratic turf battles). Of course, having pitted one bureacracy against the other, BFEE have left themselves wide open to leaks. I would have to say, on balance, that "I doubt it, but would not be surprised to find out it was happening."

[librechik]

31. I just got mine--no problems

good luck!

[Wiley50]

32. BUY TRIP INSURANCE!

That way if something comes up and you can't go
you aren't out the money

Make sure the one you buy covers this possibility

[Sammy Pepys]

33. No...n/t

...

[teenagebambam]

35. No worries.

I sang at a very public protest concert after the 2000 selection.

Since then, I've performed at four events where B*sh was present, including one at the White House. I've never had so much as a raised eyebrow.

And no, I'm not a double agent.

[mmonk]

36. No, I got one in January.

[Kelly Rupert]

38. I've heard many ridiculous things on DU.

This question ranks near the top. Of course not.

[Cleita]

39. Unless your politics involves being a card carrying member

of Al Queda, then I would imagine your activism shouldn't affect it. However, in this day and age with the corruption in our fascist government one can never know. I hope your application gets accepted with no problems.