All those who choose... Pledge Allegiance by taking the Oath of Citizenship.

Last year I posted this on my twitter and got a lot of positive feedback.

“So here is a crazy idea.... What if all Americans had to successfully pass the Naturalization classes and examination given to immigrants before taking their Oath of Citizenship. Of course, I would never force anyone to take the oath, they could remain a Resident non-citizen.”

Have you ever read the Oath that Naturalized Citizens take before being granted America citizen ship?

The text of the US citizenship oath is:

“I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen;

that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic;

that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same;

that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by law;

that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law;

that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law;

and that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God.”

The USA citizenship oath is a declaration that must be taken by all immigrants during a US naturalization ceremony. The citizenship oath is often considered the final stage of the citizenship process, and it usually takes place at the end of a naturalization ceremony. Once the oath is taken, an immigrant is officially considered a US citizen. The US citizenship oath requires that an immigrant give up all other allegiances and also requires that an immigrant agrees to abide by all US laws as a US citizen.

You are not considered a US citizen and until you take this oath. In addition to requiring your loyalty, this oath also requires you to possibly bear arms for the US and to give up any hereditary titles. It is a good idea to review the oath and to ensure that you agree with every component of it before arriving at your citizenship ceremony. If you have religious beliefs or a religious background that prevents you from agreeing to bear arms on behalf of the United States, you can request a modified oath ahead of time. You will want to take care of this before attending your citizenship ceremony.

The administering of the oath is verbal. Someone at the citizenship ceremony will read aloud the naturalization oath slowly, giving immigrants the chance to repeat the words. Therefore, you do not need to memorize the citizenship oath before arriving at the naturalization ceremony.

So what about natural born citizens. Should we require them to take the same oath? 

OK not so fast! 

Before the oath, you have to pass a test… Which requires study and dedication because to become a naturalized U.S. citizen, you must PASS the naturalization test. At your naturalization interview, you will be required to answer questions about your application and background. You will also take an English and Civics test.

Materials for studying English and Civics sections as well as links to resources like educators and help organizations are available at: https://www.uscis.gov/us-citizenship/naturalization-test

So now what about Natural Born citizens, are they required to study English and Civics? Enough to pass the naturalization test ….. Hmmm get back to me on that one OK. I get mixed answers.

And why would they have too… they were born here. My answer to that is that many who have been born here have turned their back on the very ideals that created America. Life, Liberty and Happiness. Sad really, many do not know how good they have it. 

So here is what I think.

First, I’m going to tell you where I got the idea from, then tell you my idea… OK?

I am a devote Catholic Christian. About 7 years ago (ain’t that fitting!) I had a spiritual awakening. I’ll leave it at “I began serving.” Anyway, one of the results is that I became a Virtus Trained Catechist.  So, I teach. Who I teach is our youth. And for the last 6 years, I have taught Confirmation Formation. It was here that I began to realize that the confirmation model could be applied to citizenship.

That’s not really where I got the idea however. If you ever read Harlon Ellison’s Starship Troopers, or perhaps saw the Movie of the Same name, you saw the concept that in some future dystopia, citizens and residents would be two different civil status with different rights and privileges. The example is extreme, but the notion is sound. We have the same statuses already here in America. But I digress. 

More about the difference later.

Let me preface the next section by saying, I know that there are different opinions about Christian rites of initiation. I am explaining the Catholic rites as a foundation to my premise.

In Catholicism we baptize infants as the first sacrament of initiation. This is to wash original sin from their souls and entrust their Christianity to their parents and Godparents, who commit to raising them in the faith. In doing so we claim the baby for God and make a Christian covenant through the Church. The parents and Godparents accept the responsibility to raise the child in the faith; since he or she is not yet able to understand what baptism is about.

Confirmation is the third and final and final sacrament of initiation into the faith. Normally taught about 10^th grade. Two years of confirmation formation classes and extracurricular retreats are required of the candidates. The church requires that they learn key elements of the faith and be interviewed by the Pastor before being presented to the Bishop, who administers the sacrament. 

One key aspect of Confirmation is that there is a transfer of responsibility for their spiritual life from the parents and god parents to the candidate. They must be prepared to accept responsibility for their own soul. They must accept this responsibility freely. It is similar to some cultures’ rite of passage into adulthood.

One more aspect of Confirmation is that any adult baptized Christian can attend RCIA classes (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) and be confirmed in the Catholic faith.

OK enough about my faith, how does any of this resemble citizenship and naturalization?

Follow me on this… Immigrants who want to become naturalized are like adults who come to the church to join the faith; They take classes, they learn the language, they learn about our government. They are tested and once they demonstrate their knowledge they are asked to take the responsibility of being American on themselves.  Then in a ceremony, not terribly unlike a confirmation, they accept the responsibility for their allegiance to America.  

Naturally born Americans, don’t have to do anything. They are bestowed citizenship by birth right. This is somewhat analogous to infant baptism in that it is the parents’ actions that make the infant an American not really anything the infant has done. An infant is not old enough to understand what it means to be an American.

Here is my idea…. What if at the age of majority, there was a rite of passage to American Citizenship. Like what Coverts, um… I mean immigrants experience while going through naturalization. In much that same way that the church requires confirmation candidates to learn key aspect of the faith. Candidates for citizenship would have to demonstrate the same knowledge we require of those who wish to become naturalized American citizens. After passing the naturalization test, they would be confirmed, so to speak. They would take the Oath of Citizenship, just like every other adult citizen of America. (under my plan)

Of course, this would be completely voluntary and only those who “take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion” would become confirmed American citizens. So, what about those who reach the age of majority but do not want to be American citizens? I guess we kick them out…. OK Just kidding.

We have another status in America called Permanent Resident. Many foreign nationals live here as Residents. They have limited rights and benefits but do enjoy the fruits of the American culture. They can’t vote or hold office. They must work for 40 quarters (10years) before being eligible for any social security benefits. Of course, they can apply for citizenship, which many do, but they don’t have to.

Permanent Resident rights and responsibilities are listed below.

As a permanent resident (green card holder), you have the right to:

Live permanently in the United States provided you do not commit any actions that would make you removable under immigration law

Work in the United States at any legal work of your qualification and choosing. (Please note that some jobs will be limited to U.S. citizens for security reasons)

Be protected by all laws of the United States, your state of residence and local jurisdictions

Responsibilities as a Permanent Resident are listed below:

As a permanent resident, you are:

Required to obey all laws of the United States the states, and localities

Required to file your income tax returns and report your income to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service and state taxing authorities

Expected to support the democratic form of government and not to change the government through illegal means

Required, if you are a male age 18 through 25, to register with the Selective Service

So, in the model I’m suggesting, if you are naturally born American, you can choose to be either an America Citizen, or a Permanent Resident when you reach the age of majority.

So, what do you think? Let me know in comments. Could this work? And here’s to Life, Liberty and Your Pursuit of Happiness.

-Phil Kurtz, TEXAS GOLD.