Activist contends passport stall tied to anti-war efforts

[babylonsister]

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/310738_passport07.html

Activist contends passport stall tied to anti-war efforts

By BRANDON ENG
P-I REPORTER

A local activist thinks the federal government is trying to prevent him from leaving the U.S. because of his anti-war efforts that included displaying pictures of Iraq war victims.

Thomas Hays, 38, says he applied for a passport with his birth certificate, Social Security card and Washington state identification card in February. He then received a surprise in the mail at the end of the month when the government said it needed much more documentation -- some of which is difficult to quickly obtain -- to give him a passport.

The State Department says it wanted Hays to provide "school transcripts, high school yearbook pages showing your name and photograph, religious records, medical records, (and) tax/employment records."

All the records, including a full residential record and the names, addresses and phone numbers of immediate family, had to be submitted within 30 days. Hays submitted as much information as he could, but a full employment record has to be obtained through the Social Security Administration, which can take three to six weeks and cost $52.50.

Hays, who says he was "born, bred and raised in Missouri," was distressed because he is planning an accredited trip through Evergreen State College for the Group of Eight Summit in Germany in June followed by a trip to Mexico. Now his hopes of using his non-refundable $1,110.30 airline tickets could be dashed.

Hays is well known for his "Replacements Needed" posters found glued all around some of Seattle's pedestrian-heavy neighborhoods.

"(The) Replacements Needed project did a couple of things, it showed pictures of the war that people were not seeing. (It) kept a total of people who were dying in Iraq as far as soldiers and Iraqis," said fellow Evergreen student Michael Yates.

"Replacements Needed" was criticized by pro-war advocates, city of Seattle officials and people who simply wanted an uncluttered street. Hays still maintains that his part of the project only involved making the posters available to print online, not illegally gluing them to posts.

more...

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. This stinks.

According to the State Department's website, all you need in order to get a passport is a certified birth certificate as proof of citizenship and a driver's license as current proof of identity. If you can't get those, you need other documents, but not all the things this guy was asked for.

http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/first/first_830.html

[Subdivisions]

2. Has this happened to any DUers, I wonder? n/t

[mitchtv]

3. Bullshit going on

he should contact Senator Murray, and also the Puke Senator and his congressperson

[Monkeyman]

4. Beat me to it

[crikkett]

5. Speech may be free but as this shows, it's not cheap.

[EFerrari]

6. I'm about to apply for a passport and have been dreading

something like this, especially after all my packages arrived pre-opened and sloppily taped shut again for a period of three months. Someone was clearly trying to scare me.

Or, maybe I just have a boyfriend at the post office that I haven't met yet. :(

These bastards never learn from any of their mistakes. This didn't work in the '60s, and it won't stop the movement now.

[Monkeyman]

7. I wonder how many Pictures of my face are in the FBI files from the 60's

[EFerrari]

8. Remember Richard Clarke said during his testimony

before the 9/11 Commission: "I don't think the FBI knows what it knows."

lol

:hi:

[mitchtv]

11. I got mine with the chip in it

while partner applied the same day and didn't. I know it was from my 60's days (and South American stamps )

[EFerrari]

12. A chip? Doesn't that seem unconstitutional to you?

These dumbasses.

[babylonsister]

15. Here's an article I just dug up:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x603574

[EFerrari]

18. How are they getting away with this?

:wow:

[mitchtv]

16. I don't think it is your property

although you pay for it

[EFerrari]

17. I think you're right about that. But what about the

surveillance part?

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

24. It remains the State Department's property at all times. n/t

[AlCzervik]

14. i didn't, i got mine last January, i missed the chip thing but the postal worker told

they were coming.

[flying rabbit]

19. how can you tell if there is a chip in it?

I just got a passport as well.

[elehhhhna]

21. back page says there's an electronic device embedded in the document

we just got our kids p'ports for a trip in 2 weeks, thanks to some help from COng. Lampson's office (passport office is backed up BAD).

[flying rabbit]

28. thanks

no chip woohoo!

[meldroc]

25. Disturbing...

I've received a couple packages sloppily taped shut myself. Fucking feds :mad:

[maveric]

26. Me too. Check out my thread.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=609694&mesg_id=609694

[Cassandra]

9. What are religious records?

Who's the little shit in the State Department who thought that list up?

[suffragette]

10. Given the way he has turned his life around, he should be lauded

from the article:
"Hays overcame years of homelessness to become president of the Honor Society at Seattle Central Community College and to win the All State Academic Award from former Gov. Gary Locke."

Instead, he is harassed by their heaping such absurd documentation requirements on him.
High school yearbook pictures? Religious records? Medical records? :wtf:

This is a horrid abuse of power in what looks like an attempt to prevent him from traveling.

[juno jones]

13. Had a friend

Wasn't really involved with politics but knew many who were. They 'lost' her original BC when she applied for her passport. This was during GW1. She wound up so tied up trying to get another certificate, the passport thing just got dropped. Lesson: Do not send your original. Get a copy first. And, yes, those bastards are watching you...

[proud2BlibKansan]

20. Life in bush America

Either get used to it or work to impeach them.

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

22. That's just ridiculous!!! They're requesting, security clearance, type info.

Have we become prisoners within our borders?

How disturbing!!!!

[kath]

27. Hey, they're just trying to keep us safe, don'cha know?

Because "Sept 11 changed everything".

[mnhtnbb]

23. He needs an attorney, pronto. This is BS. This is also why EVERYONE

should keep a current passport.

[Atman]

29. I'm going to astound some of you...

I don't think this guy was "singled out." Or, maybe my family was, too, because of my public anti-war stance. But here's the deal...I took my then-18-yo son in the local office for a face-to-face interview for his new passport. We supplied photos, birth certificate, everything required -- plus the additional fee for an expedited app. So, in a couple of weeks we get that same letter. Honestly, it didn't take much to satisfy the demand...a couple of pictures, a bill from the doctor's office...we sent in a couple of pretty non-descript docs and he had his passport soon thereafter, with all the docs enclosed.

I know it's easy to get hysterical when a hysterical madman is running the government, but sometimes there really isn't any there there. Maybe there IS, sure...but I don't think so.

.