Hi, Lee Lofaso! How are you?   
   on Saturday, 28 of July, I read your message to alexander koryagin   
   about "An essay about Love, State and humanity"   
      
   [skipped]   
    LL> But here's the kicker, and where your story completely falls apart.   
    LL> You mentioned in your essay "... but does not demand from its   
    LL> people to refuse from their former citizenship if they have one."   
      
    LL> Here is the full text of the oath of citizenship -   
      
    LL> "I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce   
    LL> and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince,   
    LL> potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which I have heretofore   
    LL> been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the   
    LL> Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all   
    LL> enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and   
    LL> allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the   
    LL> United Staes when required by law; that I will perform noncombatant   
    LL> service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by   
    LL> the law; that I will perform work of national importnance under   
    LL> civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this   
    LL> obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of   
    LL> evasion; so help me God. In acknowledgment whereof I have herunto   
    LL> afffixed my signature."   
      
    LL> That is the oath that every immigrant who wants to become a citizen   
    LL> of the United States must take. Now compare this oath of   
    LL> citizenship with the oath that immigrants wanting to become   
    LL> citizens of Russia must take. :)   
      
      
   Well, just read this:   
   =========Beginning of the citation==============   
   http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1753.html   
      
   Dual Nationality   
    A U.S. citizen may acquire foreign citizenship by marriage, or a   
    person naturalized as a U.S. citizen may not lose the citizenship of   
    the country of birth. United States law does not mention dual   
    citizenship or require a person to choose one citizenship or another.   
    Also, a person who is automatically granted another citizenship does   
    not risk losing U.S. citizenship. However, a person who acquires a   
    foreign citizenship by applying for it may lose U.S. citizenship. In   
    order to lose U.S. citizenship, the law requires that the person must   
    apply for the foreign citizenship voluntarily, by free choice, and   
    with the intention to give up U.S. citizenship. Intent can be shown   
    by the person's statements or conduct.   
      
    The U.S. Government recognizes that dual citizenship exists but does   
    not encourage it as a matter of policy because of the problems it may   
    cause. Claims of other countries on dual national U.S. citizens may   
    conflict with U.S. law, and dual nationality may limit U.S.   
    Government efforts to assist citizens abroad.   
      
    However, dual nationals owe allegiance to both the United States and   
    the foreign country. They are required to obey the laws of both   
    countries. Either country has the right to enforce its laws,   
    particularly if the person later travels there. Most US citizens,   
    including dual nationals, must use a U.S. passport to enter and leave   
    the United States. Dual nationals may also be required by the foreign   
    country to use its passport to enter and leave that country. Use of   
    the foreign passport does not endanger U.S. citizenship.   
                      ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^   
   =========The end of the citation================   
      
   [skipped]   
    AK>> she was told in the Russian consulate that she could visit Russia   
    AK>> with her present document without trouble. Was it an accidental   
    AK>> error, I don't know.   
      
    LL> Traveling on a US passport would have been no problem for Julia.   
      
   In this case she had to pass the procedure of obtaining Russian visa.   
   But why should she have to do it if she was told that she is still a   
   Russian citizen, and she can use her Russian passport? Well, she is not   
   a millionaire and probably wanted to save some money.   
      
    LL> Traveling on a US passport would have been no problem for her son.   
      
   Yes. He left Russia alone without any problem.   
      
    LL> So why did Julia need an expired Russian passport?   
      
   I explained above. From the viewpoint of the Russian consulate in San   
   Francisco her passport was not like a football ticket and she could   
   renew her passport later. At least, she could earn a fine for this minor   
   violation.   
      
    AK>> So she went. Nobody said a word when she entered. She spent in   
    AK>> Russia three weeks, said good bye to her relatives and went to the   
    AK>> airport to fly back home, to the US. That day was ill luck. First   
    AK>> they found that her luggage exceeded the allowed limit by 2   
    AK>> kilograms, and they demanded 70 dollars for overweight. The   
    AK>> luggage was unpacked and lightened. But the worst was ahead. When   
    AK>> she was asked for the passport she gave her American passport and   
    AK>> then Russian one, as she entered Russia with it, as a Russian   
    AK>> citizen. In this place the fact of passport expiration was   
    AK>> revealed and Julia got into hot water.   
      
    LL> An American stranded in Russia. Only because she forgot to take her   
    LL> US passport with her...   
      
   She _has_ her American passport with her now, but without a Russian   
   visa. She entered Russia holding her Russian foreign passport. The   
   problem is that in Russia the local authorities, actually, put her   
   American passport on the floor and wiped their feet on it. Their logic   
   is simple - Julia entered Russia with Russian passport and therefore she   
   must be treated like a Russian citizen. Nobody wants to listen any   
   argument and entreaties to enter the situation.   
      
    AK>> First she was fined. But, probably, it was enough. She was banned   
    AK>> from living Russia, and although it was possible to settle the   
    AK>> matter at Sheremetyevo airport or in a Russian consulate in the   
    AK>> US, she was told to return to Moscow and make the new foreign   
    AK>> Russian passport. When she came to the Moscow's FMS (Federal   
    AK>> migration service) department, she was told that before she can   
    AK>> apply for a foreign Russian passport she must do an internal   
    AK>> Russian passport. And the ready time for both documents are up to   
    AK>> 4-6 months. Besides, she had to go to another Russian town (where   
    AK>> she had lived in 20 years ago) and get notary's certificate of her   
    AK>> birth in Russia (the original one remained in her home in the US).   
      
    LL> She's lucky those pesky Russians didn't send her to a gulag. :)   
      
   Probably they wished with all their heart, but there is no Gulag at   
   present moment. However, some people say that now the country is Gulag   
   as a whole. ;=)   
      
      
    AK>> The US embassy also refused to help her, pretending that if she   
    AK>> went in with Russian passport she cannot wait any help from the   
    AK>> American embassy. They refused to make even a single phone call to   
    AK>> request for speeding up the documents making. It is an interesting   
    AK>> position. The US does not recognize her Russian citizenship, and   
    AK>> actually refused to count her as a real American citizen, too.   
      
    LL> I can't say I blame them. After all, she did break her oath...   
      
   As you could read above, she had a full right to use her Russian   
   passport and do not refuse from the Russian citizenship. And again --   
   they refused even to try to make a most small attempt. But who knows   
   maybe a single call phone could help. At least they would have a clear   
   conscience.   
      
      
    LL> She could have been stranded in worse places. Like Siberia. :)   
      
   Yeah. In winter.   
      
    AK>> Maybe somebody will say something helpful?   
      
    LL> I should have given those Russian sailors a pack of Picayunes   
    LL> rather than Camels. Picayunes are made with cigar tobacco grown in   
    LL> Luling, Louisiana and are not meant to be inhaled. :)   
      
   They don't smoke Russian cigarettes. The Earth's main human killer, the   
   US, provides Russia with this poison. Almost all Russian tobaco plans   
   were ruined trying to compete. ;-)   
      
   [...Save energy! TURN OFF Num Lock!]   
   Bye Lee!   
   Alexander (yAlexKo[]yandex.ru) + 2:5020/2140.91   
   fido7.debate 2012    
      
      
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