U.S. OKs Iroquois Passports; U.K. Won't

Lacrosse Magazine ^ | 7/14/2010 | Staff

[rivercat]

After a four-day faceoff with the U.S. government ended Wednesday, the Iroquois Nationals encountered another obstacle: the British government. As a result, the team must forfeit its Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL) World Championships opener against host England in Manchester on Thursday.

[calex59]

We will get them from the Nation of Freep, whose president is Jim Robinson and undersecretary is John Robinson.

But they need to be counter signed by Jim Thompson, without his signature they are no good.

[Redcloak]

Does this mean that I get to use a passport issued by the Klingon Empire?

[DoughtyOne]

Okay, thanks for the mention. Haven’t they been traveling on US passports?

[rivercat]

No, they’ve been traveling on Iroquois Nation passports for decades!

[OldDeckHand]

"They are NOT part of the US or Canada, they have their own sovereign nation and should be recognized and accepted as such!"

Ok. Like I said, if they want to be a separate nation, then be a seperate nation, with all that entails. Some (perhaps even the majority) people in foreign countries wait months and years waiting for a visa for entry. If the Iroquis tribe wants to be a nation, they can't expect to be treated any differently than the other nations who don't have formalized relations or treaties with the UK.

There's an old saying that's probably appropriate here - be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.

[piasa]

I get your point as this tribal visa business is part of the recent Balkanization effort on the part of the left but I think the Iroquois have had formalized relations and treaties with the UK long before the US ever did, before the French and Indian war. Of course, that was before anyone thought of the idea of flashing passports and getting your granny screened for smuggled fingernail clippers or undybombs at an international airport.

[piasa]

Well, there was that story from 2001 about the hijacker Mohammed Atta applying to Key West for his official Conch Republic passport.

[DoughtyOne]

Then I’d have to agree this is a major FUBAR screw-up by our and the UK governments, unless someone can provide more information.

Thank you.

[OldDeckHand]

"I get your point as this tribal visa business is part of the recent Balkanization effort on the part of the left but I think the Iroquois have had formalized relations and treaties with the UK long before the US ever did, before the French and Indian war."

They very well may have. And, the British government had formalized relations and treaties with Turkey (then the Ottoman Empire) LONG before America was even a British Colony. But, if you want to travel to the UK from Turkey and Turkey to the UK, guess what you need? That's right - a visa.

Another thing that really chaps my behind is this sentence from the article...

"The Iroquois' plight has reached the U.S. House of Representatives floor, where Rep. Dan Maffei (D-N.Y.) spoke on behalf of the players Wednesday.

“These Iroquois, or Haudenosaunee, were the inventors of the game of lacrosse," Maffei said. "It would be an international embarrassment if they’re not allowed to compete.”

I don't care if they all had a hand in curing cancer, what the heck is an US Congressman addressing their "plight" in the well of the House floor, if they wish to be a separate nation traveling on non-US passports?

Again, if they want to be a separate country, then be a separate country. If they want to enjoy the benefits and privileges of being a US citizen, then they darn sure better be happy to travel on a US passport.

They can't have it both ways. Either they're American, or they aren't. If they aren't. It's really none of our damn business what the UK does to them, or for them.

[piasa]

I don't care if they all had a hand in curing cancer, what the heck is an US Congressman addressing their "plight" in the well of the House floor, if they wish to be a separate nation traveling on non-US passports?

That is pretty funny...

[piasa]

I wonder if the separate nation passport idea arose at the same time as the gambling and cigarette tax exemptions became big money?

[OldDeckHand]

"I wonder if the separate nation passport idea arose at the same time as the gambling and cigarette tax exemptions became big money?"

That's a good question. I don't know.

[metmom]

More on the subject....

Brits say No to Native Americans

http://liveshots.blogs.foxnews.com/2010/07/15/brits-say-no-to-american-indians/