Americans: You Are Restricted from Freely Traveling the World by Your Own Government
Most Don't Want to Visit These Places, But That's Not the Point. From the Chinese Exclusion Act to COVID-19:Exploring the Intersection of National Security and the Right to Freedom of Travel
Ah, the United States of America, where freedom is served up like hot dogs on Independence Day, yet where Uncle Sam sometimes seems to fancy himself the bouncer at Club Liberty. It’s a land where the government, in a fit of parental fervor, occasionally grounds its citizens with travel restrictions that clash with the Constitution, like socks and sandals.
Let’s be real: The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 was as much about freedom of movement as a fish is about climbing trees. Fast-forward to passports becoming the latest fad in 1918 — not because Americans needed another photo ID, but because the government got jittery about who was gallivanting overseas. While not an outright travel ban, this measure introduced a layer of government oversight that hadn't existed before, making travel feel like a job interview rather than an adventure.
Then there's the Cold War's travel fashion — not so much iron curtain as iron handcuffs. The Cuban embargo turned into a game of Red Rover with the communists, while the U.S. played keep-away with its own citizens. The Cold War era witnessed a flurry of travel restrictions, with the U.S. government casting a wary eye on communist countries. These restrictions were aimed at shielding Americans from the dreaded communist propaganda and preventing potential espionage. The Cuban travel ban, rooted in 1962 and still in place today, is a prime example of this Cold War hangover.
Iranian travel restrictions? It’s like the U.S. government swiped left on a whole nation. The Iranian Revolution and the subsequent hostage crisis at the U.S. embassy in Tehran prompted another travel ban, this time targeting Iran. The ban was lifted in 1981 but reinstated in 2019, proving that some things are just too good to last.
Post-9/11, the freedom to travel got an extreme home makeover, TSA edition, with a no-fly list longer than a CVS receipt.
As of November 5, 2023, the U.S. government still prohibits American citizens from traveling to countries including Cuba, Iran, Russia, Israel, and North Korea without special licenses, under threat of civil and criminal penalties. Now, with a blacklist that includes these vacation non-favorites, one must ask: Is packing a suitcase now an act of rebellion?
To suggest these bans are a small glitch in human rights is like saying the discovery of fire was a neat trick for toasting marshmallows.
For the faithful, travel isn’t just a hobby; it’s a divine commandment. Jesus didn’t stutter when he gave the Great Commandment, “Go ye into all the world and make disciples of all people.” Still, travel bans make that command as feasible as a chocolate teapot and consequently put people whose faith is exercised in part by traveling, pilgrimages, for example, in a position to either not exercise their faith entirely or go ahead and do and risk penalties from the government.
The irony of America, the self-appointed hall monitor of the world’s freedoms, enforcing travel bans and restrictions is as thick as the original Webster's dictionary — you know, the one that defines 'freedom' without the fine print. It’s a 'do as I say, not as I jet-set' philosophy.
The stance here is as clear as the Declaration of Independence: Travel restrictions are the equivalent of putting liberty in a straitjacket. It's a wardrobe malfunction on the runway of rights that must be stripped off posthaste.
If freedom truly is the American way, then it’s time to abolish these fashion faux pas of policies. Liberty should be as accessible as a 24/7 diner, not a speakeasy with a secret handshake. Until American passports get an all-access pass to the world, Lady Liberty's torch is less 'give me your tired, your poor' and more 'do as I say, not as I travel,' flickering eerily like North Korea's Juche flame in a parody of the freedom buffet America claims to serve.
Listen up, nomads and jet-set junkies
: Uncle Sam's playing travel agent with a 'No' stamp, and it's time to cancel his license.
It's high time we tell Uncle Sam that his travel restrictions are about as welcome as a middle seat on a transatlantic flight. We'll be reclaiming our nomadic privileges and hereby repossessing our passport freedoms. We must remind the powers-that-be that the planet isn't their personal Yelp page, rating which countries we can visit.
If packing a suitcase is now an act of rebellion, then let's turn every luggage carousel into our personal protest march.
In the grand tradition of governmental sleight of hand, Uncle Sam tiptoes through our liberties, snatching freedoms we scarcely glance at until one day, we wake up needing a stamped permit to hopscotch over to the neighbor's curb.
If you believe your passport should be an all-access pass to the world, not a booklet brimming with off-limit destinations, then it's time to act. Take flight with us and sign our petition!
Eager to swap your backyard views for the mysteries of Iran or the enigmatic streets of North Korea? Likely not, but that's beside the point at hand.
Sure, they might not top everyone's vacation list, but as bearers of the red, white, and blue, we're stirred by the siren song of freedom to travel wherever our star-spangled hearts desire. It's an inalienable right, not a government-approved itinerary.
Let's tell our leaders that our rights don't stop at the border—because what's the point of the land of the free if the skies aren't included? Join the rally, cry louder than an eagle's screech: "We're Americans, and we claim our freedom to roam from sea to sanctioned sea!"
Very well presented case for the argument.