Saturday, October 4, 2008

'Tis the Season to Test Your Citizenship Chops: Have You Got the Right Stuff?

Despite the fact that immigration seems to have fallen off the short list of hot topics -- there was not one question about it during the vice presidential debate -- the issue is still roiling under the surface. And it is also often the excuse of choice for people trying to suppress voter turnout -- you know, because illegal immigrants are simply flooding the polls with illegal votes. Yeah, right.

Well, for those of us lucky to be American born and bred, we have a choice at the polls coming up in about a month. Yes, one of the key responsibilities and privileges of citizenship is voting.

But for those folks who chose the United States as the country of their hearts and minds, but are not born in the red, white and blue, they have to take and pass a citizenship test before such rights are conferred upon them. Could you pass the test? Have you taken it? Well, here's your chance -- and here's another version that's even tougher. Some questions are a bit of a gimme, and the way the first example from AOL is set up -- with pictures -- is not how those looking to become naturalized citizens get to take it. No hints allowed. But the government is revising the questions, making them tougher -- tough enough that more than a few natural-born citizens would fail.

I bet there will be a few questions you have to think about. Do you have what it takes to be a citizen?


Copyright 2008. The Zaftig Redhead. All Rights Reserved.

1 comment:

Edwin Ridout said...

I studied hard for my citizenship test about ten years ago. I could answer any of the 250 practice questions. In the waiting room, I was able to tell another nervous applicant the name of the chairman of his county board of supervisors. But the test was just ten questions, multiple choice, disappointingly easy. The hardest one? Give the reason there are thirteen stripes on the American flag.