From: stephen@sprunk.org   
      
   On 23-Jun-14 04:51, Adam H. Kerman wrote:   
   > Stephen Sprunk  wrote:   
   >> On 22-Jun-14 18:56, Adam H. Kerman wrote:   
   >>> Nobody  wrote:   
   >>>> I would propose that as US Nationals, not being allowed to vote   
   >>>> or hold public office within the 50 states/DC is a tad more   
   >>>> than just a "pretty minor difference"?   
   >>>   
   >>> They carry a US passport, which makes no distinction between a   
   >>> citizen and a national.   
   >>   
   >> Wrong.   
   >   
   >> http://travel.state.gov/content/travel/english/legal-consider   
   tions/us-citizenship-laws-policies/certificates-of-non-citizen-nationality.html   
   >   
   >>  "the Department determined that those who would be eligible to   
   >> apply for such a certificate may instead apply for a United States   
   >> passport that would delineate and certify their status as a   
   >> national but not a citizen of the United States."   
   >   
   > Uh, you missed the fact that it's an optional procedure because the   
   > State Department didn't want to create a nearly pointless new   
   > document. Otherwise, passports for citizens just make a statement   
   > about nationality.   
      
   It's unclear to me whether they _always_ get that note on their   
   passports or only in the case where they specifically request it, which   
   would seem rather odd.  Everyone assumes that having a US passport means   
   you're a US citizen, but perhaps that's because the number of   
   non-citizen nationals today is so small.   
      
   Also, aside from a few very specific things, the vast majority of rights   
   we associate with US citizenship are actually associated with US   
   nationality, so the distinction rarely matters in practice.  For   
   instance, I use my passport for many things that require proof of   
   "citizenship"; it only proves nationality, but nationality is all that   
   is actually required in those cases anyway.   
      
   In fact, I even used my US passport when I registered to vote, which is   
   one of the few things that actually _does_ require citizenship.   
      
   S   
      
   --   
   Stephen Sprunk         "God does not play dice."  --Albert Einstein   
   CCIE #3723         "God is an inveterate gambler, and He throws the   
   K5SSS        dice at every possible opportunity." --Stephen Hawking   
      
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