Today’s Naturalization Ceremony

Today I attended, for the first time, a naturalization ceremony for new citizens at the Federal Courthouse here in Tallahassee.  I walked the four blocks there from my office just before 9:30 in the morning, and it was this exceptionally beautiful day.  Temperature about 70 degrees F. and a good breeze which meant I didn’t have to fight my way through herds of love bugs. 

I’d never been inside the Federal Courthouse here, but I treated it like I was going to an airport.  I took a very small bag with only a few easily scanned items, which included my driver’s license.  Turns out you do have to have an ID to get in.   I had to give up my cell phone, but at least they let me have it back when I left.  Well that was the second time.  Because it turned out 9:30 was the wrong time.  So I walked back the 4 blocks, and then went back just before 11:00.

When we reached the courtoom on the 5th floor where the ceremony took place, we were given a program, and the start of the ceremony was supposed to be the Posting of Colors by a Sgt. in the U.S. Marine Corps, who never showed up, which seemed to sort of discombobulate everyone and disappointed me. 

There were brief words from the Deputy Clerk and then an invocation, which was wisely non-committal, religion-wise.  Then they really got down to business.  The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida had to make a formal move that the judge accept the petitions from the would-be citizens, which he did.  Then each “petitioner” stood one by one, stated his or her name and the country from which they were immigrating.  When all were done, the oath of citizenship was administered and all present were allowed to say it with them.  (As an aside here, they’re thinking of modernizing the oath or perhaps they already have in some places, but in this case, you had to renounce allegiance to any “prince or potentate”.  Please. )

Up until the end of the oath, everyone had been very solemn–to the point where the Immigration guy said, “Geez, Smile!  This is a very special day for you!”  But when the oath was completed, the U.S. Attorney said one word:  “Congratulations.”  And the room erupted in cheers and whistles, and people throwing things inluding flowers in the air.  In my small bag, stuffed around the absolute necessities I thought I would need, was toilet paper, because I knew I would cry.  And this was this first time. 

Then the judge spoke a few words, and a speaker said a few words…a professor from Florida A&M who only went through his own naturalization ceremony two months ago.  And then, the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.  Who can resist the words “One Nation, Under God, Indivisible, With Libery and Justice For All.”  Even as I was thinking that we haven’t quite managed that liberty and justice for all part, I was sneaking more toilet paper out of the bag.  Because as imperfect as we are, this is a lot more liberty and justice than most of these people have ever seen. 

There were people from 36 countries there; from 20 of those countries there was only one individual taking the oath today.  The path they have followed in every case is a long and hard one.  You have to live in the U.S. for 5 years minimum with a green card;  pass a background check;  take a test and participate in an interview. 

Then there was a Benediction by the minister, and the ceremony concluded.  There was a lot of picture-taking, then everyone gradually moved to the third floor where there was punch and cookies provided by a local law firm, and a table set up by the Supervisor of Elections to register everyone to vote.  Our Supervisor of Elections, Ion Sancho, was there in person. 

On my walk back to the office, I couldn’t help but think, Welcome to America, with all its bitterness and bigotry.  But then, America is a nation of words.  Those are are our weapons for the most part.  The people I saw today will no longer have to fear people coming for them with machetes or AK-47’s in the middle of the night.  And fresh from reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, I also couldn’t help but think of the preamble to the Constitution:  “We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union…”  And we are working on perfecting it all the time.  Well at least most of us are, I think, and we have a harder job of doing it than most countries.  We’re the most diverse country in the world, and becoming more so, and living with it.  Uneasily, but doing it.