The USA has been the subject of headlines worldwide for some time now. Though it is nothing new, the reasons the nation is on the tip of everyone’s tongue are certainly unusual.
The so-called “Muslim ban” on entrance into the USA from 7 Islamic countries has scandalized people across the globe because it shattered the peace of mind of people born in Islamic nations who had been longstanding citizens of the USA.
This puts millions of people into a bind, where they are unsure of their ability to enter and depart the country at will. This outcome could be perceived as the result of a series of unfortunate events. Although there might be some rational thought behind this decision, the consequences are certainly newsworthy.
Contributing
Contributing to the despondent situation, the incidents across the US and its borders have stunned people including the residents of the USA for generations. US passport renewal has been denied even to the longstanding residents of the world superpower. The unusual incidents the US and international media have shined a light on are being met with great concern by many citizens.
When passports and renewals are being denied to its own citizens, who does the USA support to stay within the country? Is it legitimate to ban people from entering a nation despite current events? After all, why should one restrict someone’s choice of home?
In the context of globalization, the core principle of it is in jeopardy if these denials and bans are to be a permanent fixture and if they are not confined to the USA but span to all the global nations.
Is it something very precious to dream for actual globalization where you are free to enter any nation or free to reside anywhere in the world obeying the laws of that land? After all, what is the reason behind these denials? Why has the US been so restrictive towards the global citizens entering their country? Is this a regressive mentality to be wary of their kin? Getting to the other side of the coin is mandatory to seek answers for all these questions.
Every US citizen
Every US citizen would answer these questions in their own words, but all the answers should revolve around one event: September 11th. No one can deny the brutality of the massacre the country had witnessed on that day at the start of the millennium. The gruesome plot to damage the USA left the global nations ill at ease.
The superpower was devastated with this act and it took legions of brave hearts to rebuild the economy to what it is today. It is commendable for the country to recover after a big blow and to regain its former glory from the debris of that tragic event. But it was all not made in a couple of months. It took ages to evolve from the nightmare and reestablish themselves as a magnanimous nation yet again.
Although obtaining a US visa was always replete with regulations, the actual restrictions on the people who apply for new USA passport began only after the 9/11 attacks. The US state officials have grown suspicious and started reflecting a dubious attitude towards the passport seekers. There are incidents where intersex citizens were denied passport renewals as they were unable to select male or female as a gender.
Similarly, urgent passport renewals were denied to many citizens who have been living in the country for a long time simply for the reason that they were born to parents of a different nation and ethnicity delivered by midwives who fraudulently issued them birth certificates.
Americans who visit Mexico are stopped on their way back despite the submission of their passports. The daily periodicals of the USA wrote that these citizens were compelled to admit that they are Mexicans and were subsequently entered into detention proceedings when they denied being Mexican nationals.
Each citizen
Each of the citizens knew that these do not stand as concrete reasons for a denial of passport renewal. However, it is implicitly evident why the officials have turned so skeptical in issuing passports to US nationals. International Al Qaeda operatives were instrumental in the September 11 attacks but it would not have been possible without the assistance of residents already living domestically in the United States of America.
Scouring for probable extremists who are US residents has thus begun and increased passport scrutiny has been on the rise ever since the incident took place. The series of incidents quoted as examples in the above paragraph occurred as a result of this scouring. In spite of many genuine citizens suffering in this process, the reason behind the Government’s anxiety is justified to an extent.
The US has always been a nation that opened doors with enormous warmth for many nations for trade and employment if we have to consider the last couple of decades in the previous millennium. However, the country had to pay dearly for their warmth and their rich sense of co-existence in the form of militant attacks.
Xenophobia
The US is considered one of the best places in the world for living for the freedom of choice they offer to their citizens. However, things are not the same now. Of all this, we can decipher an implicit behavioral pattern developed into Xenophobia has increased domestically over the years and it doesn’t seem unnatural for the kind of suffering the nation has experienced.
Looking past just passport renewals, citizens seeking same day passports irrespective of the fact that they are the residents are even considered as possible intruders or at the very least observed from a skeptical angle.
Their vehement zeal in shaping up the US economy and to protect its citizens from extreme atrocities is undeniable and the residents may have to deal with the unethical treatment till the dust settles.
However, we hope that the bubble bursts soon for the well-being of the US and the country beckons its nationals and the global citizens with the similar warmth it has shown before.