American Citizenship Is Not Something To Take For Granted

Source: KPCC

Our current standing in the world as a nation may be in question due to the lack of political experience which now resides in the West Wing.  With that being said, no U.S. citizen should take their 'citizenship' for granted.  Let me explain with a recent news article from the New York Times titled "2 American Wives of ISIS Militants Want to Return Home"

AL HAWL CAMP, Syria — She was a 20-year-old college student in Alabama who had become convinced of the righteousness of the Islamic State. So she duped her parents into thinking she was going on a college trip, and instead bought a plane ticket to Turkey with her tuition money.

After being smuggled into the caliphate, the student, Hoda Muthana, posted a photograph on Twitter showing her gloved hands holding her American passport. “Bonfire soon,” she promised.

That was more than four years ago. Now, after being married to three Islamic State fighters and witnessing executions like those she had once cheered on social media, Ms. Muthana says she is deeply sorry and wants to return home to the United States.

Now she claims as shown in the video that she was 'brain-washed' in a online by ISIS to give up her citizenship and move to Syria to join ISIS:

I have little sympathy toward someone who takes for granted their holding a 'U.S. citizenship' status.  I am not saying that the United States is the best country in the world.  The U.S. definitely has problems.  I am speaking from the standpoint of a person who has worn the U.S. Military uniform and served overseas representing the United States of America.  To serve and protect our nation will definitely give a person a different perspective.  That is not to say that still after serving in the U.S. military, soldiers will not give up their U.S. citizenship -- here is an example out of Kuwait.


I frequented a base during my military service overseas in Kuwait.  On that base, there were U.S. Soldiers working for the Kuwait Air Force as civilian contractors working on the F-18 Fighter Jets on loan to Kuwait from the United States Navy.  Of course, the soldiers were not wearing U.S. military uniforms nor were the F-18 Fighter Jets the same color or pattern as the U.S. military F-18 Fighter Jets.  The Jets on loan were painted blue and grey camouflage paint.  What struck me as unusual were the conditions and pay under which the U.S. soldiers were working under.



In order to work on the same Fighter Jet as they would if enlisted in the U.S. Navy, the following conditions were met:


1) Give up U.S. citizenship to work in Kuwait for 4 years.

2) Pay was $25,000.00 tax free per year.

3) Food and Shelter paid for by Kuwait on top of base pay.


After working with the Kuwait Air Force or Kuwait Navy on F-18 Fighter Jets on loan from the U.S. military, a person could potentially earn $100K.  Of course, after the 4 year contract is up, the person would have to apply for U.S. citizenship all over again.  WOW!


Would you be in favor of earning $100K at the cost of giving up your birthplace citizenship for 4 years?  With no guarantee of getting U.S. citizenship back?   No way.



Returning to Hoda Muthana stuck over in Syria.  Unfortunately, I do not think that she should be granted U.S. citizenship very easily.  Possibly on the condition that she serve prison time in Guantanamo prison (short time).  That might sound extremely harsh.  Although, remember, she made a video (as mentioned in the excerpt above) indicating that she was going to proudly burn her U.S. passport and join I.S.I.S.  That has to weigh heavily on her ability to return to the U.S.


Why did she not just leave her husband before moving to Syria?  Because she was so-called 'brain washed' online.  Sorry not buying it.  She could have gone to authorities and expressed concern as to her possible 'brain washing' and unwanted departure.  That might have resulted in her giving up any children she had at the time.  Although, that would have saved her a great amount of difficulty.



I do not pretend to have all of the correct answers.  Although, I would suggest that before you give up your citizenship, think twice (maybe more) about the potential ramifications.  After 9/11, the Patriot Act was created to deal with foreign powers who expressed interest in harming U.S. citizens.  By joining I.S.I.S. and giving up U.S. citizenship, Hoda Muthana was basically stating that she was joining a group of people who would like to harm the U.S. -- Which is extremely dangerous and serious as a punishable offense.  Therefore, she should have to pay a large price in order to drive home the point.


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