Posted on 05/20/2006 7:58:34 PM PDT by La Enchiladita
130 countries represented at ceremony
After waiting in messy traffic, enduring long lines and ending up in one of the worst seats in the house, Aurelia Gheletca had an excuse to be grumpy.
But as she filled in the little squares on a voter registration form for the first time and readied to wave her small American flag, the Anaheim woman was positively radiant.
"Today, my dream has come true," said Gheletca, 56, who left her native country of Romania nearly 16 years ago to find political and religious freedom. "I am so happy because I am finally an American."
Gheletca was among more than 7,000 immigrants to enter Fairplex in Pomona as a foreign citizen on Friday and leave as a new American.
During two separate ceremonies, people from about 130 countries crowded into a massive building to shed their ties to their homelands and become naturalized citizens.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Oswald Parada, who presided over the afternoon ceremony, congratulated the masses on their "new lives as American citizens" and urged them to contribute positively to society.
"By becoming citizens, you are saying you are committed to the principles this country stands for: freedom and democracy," Parada said, calling on the new citizens to vote, serve on juries when called and show tolerance to people of other races and faiths.
After thousands of voices recited the Oath of Allegiance in unison, cheers and little flags shot up across the vast crowd. President Bush welcomed the new citizens in a videotaped presentation just before "God Bless the USA" pumped through the loudspeakers.
(Excerpt) Read more at sgvtribune.com ...
I spent several years in Texas and that never happened to me.Dang.
Welcome Fellow Americans!
Congratulations, folks!
I've attended more than one 'citizenship party' for colleagues. It's always a thrill.
Hey, there! Good to see you. Yeah...I guess Bush has been blamed enough. It sure is fun having this thing. They told me "unlimited" minutes...I hope their idea of unlimited and mine are the same thing! LOL!
See, you say y'all like a native! Guess yer Texan!
"You're the one to blame; ain't that a shame...!!"
J/K, that is one clever little doohickey, that aircard.
Yes, I remember way back when, LUV, y'all were talkin' about that get-together! Alrighty!
Naturalization Oath of Allegiance
to the United States of America
Oath:
"I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the armed forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God."
"I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state or sovereignty"
~Fat chance from Mexico
~Bump!
Thats a great Oath.. ..maybe a few pols should take it as well.
Thanks for posting that LE. Too bad those of us who are born and raised here aren't always taught that in school. We too, need to be refreshed on what it takes to be a citizen.
Hey, kids!
Lyman's recommendation is that this oath be re-visited often by every American citizen.
That would include our politicians who, as we know, have almost all violated their oaths of office.
Interesting too, that it is part of the communist manifesto to abolish all loyalty oaths.
I agree, it certainly should be taught in school. We should have a National Loyalty Day, wouldn't that drive the libs crazy?
:) I'm in.
And by the video you sent me, taking "God" out of everything!
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