The Government that Works

The physical preperations for the trip begin with the unpleasant discovery that my passport has expired and must be renewed. I fill out the required forms and prepare to have a, probably very unflattering, photograph taken. Then I notice the fine print, no head covering may be worn in the picture unless you submit a signed and notarized affivdavit explaining that it is necessary for religous purposes. While I didn't have a problem with wearing my kippah for the passport photo, I find that I do have a problem with telling some government agency that I am a Hasidic Jew. Why is this? I don't have any problem wearing my kippah when traveling in places where it is unsafe to do so. In fact I live in one of the new strongholds for the arayan nations and wear my kippah and my tzitzit out all the time ( of course I also figure that those folks aren't intelligent enough to know what the funny strings and beanie really are). Anyway the whole government affivdavit really knocks me on my butt and I end up whipping the kippah off right before the flash. Yes, it was a beautiful picture, it said potential terrorist all over it. So I head to the Post Office to mail off application, check, old passport, and photos; the clerk asks "do I want to send it registered mail" I reply, "No, I trust that one government agency can get it to another government agency ok." The clerk replies, "Oh no, you really should send it registered!"