Recently, a Canadian woman has decided to sue the Canadian government after her passport was revoked in Kenya. While the facts of the case are still coming out, apparently her lips didn’t match that of her photo. And whose fault is that? The government?
http://www.canada.com/Woman+stranded+Kenya+seeks+over+passport+dispute/1916529/story.html
While it may be that the government wasn’t perfect in their response (like that is a surprise), as citizens of this country, we have a certain duty when travelling. I know that I no longer look like my passport photo from four years ago, having changed weight and hairstyles, but before I travel anywhere, and use it to rely on the proof of my identity, I will get a new one, one that undoubtably looks like me.
The root cause of this incident is leaving your country with a passport that doesn’t reflect your true image.
Canadian tax payers and citizens are the ones who are going to pay. If successful, the government should respond with shorter timelines on the validity of a passport to decrease the probability that people will change from their image. That will be a pain for both government and citizens a like. Government money comes from taxes. I pay enough, as I am sure we all do.
Canada is a welcoming country, letting in others to give them a good, safe home. And this is how they thank us? Is the Canadian government as bad as the one she fled, as bad as the one she was born to? Let’s put things in perspective. Sure, bad things happen, but instead of looking for a payout, let’s try to make them better. At least, we can take responsibility for what we can do about it, what is in our control and that is our behaviour abroad and our planning before we leave, to say the least.
Filed under: Responsible Actions, Uncategorized, Wisdom
