Election Day

On Tuesday the boys and I had the morning off of school for elections, so we decided to take Liam to our precincts polling station to learn a lesson in good citizenry. I am sure they must do this every where else in the country as well, but they had children's poll booths set up at every presinct so that children who came with thier parents could have a turn voting as well. So Liam took his turn and we got some really cute pictures of his first time "voting" (will post later), he was against all the propositions apparently...I had no idea he was so opinionated!

While we were waiting in line (for about five seconds!) they asked me for my ID etc...so I could vote, I had to explain that I was a felon and couldn't vote. That's what I like to tell people in such situations, it sounds far more interesting than just not being able to vote because I am Canadian. I usually tell the truth afterwards though, people just get very taken aback and its funny. Then they usually say something about "Don't worry, I am sure you'll be able to vote next time". Which is very big assumption to make for many reasons. The Department of Homeland Security is in no rush to even remove the provisional status from my permanant residency, let alone rush me through the citizenship process. They seem pretty content to just let me pay taxes without the opportunity to vote (taxation without representation, I tell you what...). And then there is the BIG assumption that I want to publicly renounce my Canadian citizenship to become American. And I am not saying that when the time comes I won't, but I am saying that this is a more personal matter than people are aware. To divorce yourself in a public ceremony from the country of your birth, from the country that educated you and provided you with healthcare, from the culture that defines your formative years and especially from the country where your family still lives is a pretty big deal to someone who actually is in a position to have to make that choice. The longer I live here the more practical it becomes for me to assume American citizenship, and when the time comes I am certain that I will. But it will not be without a great deal of introspection, because for all the reasons I mentioned above it will signal a significant shift in my personal identity and perception of self. So the next time you meet a naturalized citizen perhaps consider the story behind thier citizenship, it is often more complicated than it might seem.