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Sincerely,
Willy née William Chaplin
Father of Roger Davidson

Recently, my son, Roger Davidson, was refused a passport by the U.S. Department of State. Their stated reason was that his birth certificate was issued more than a year after his birth and that it was not sufficient evidence of his citizenship.

The reason Roger's birth was registered late is that he was born at home, in Minneapolis, and the midwife did not register his birth. When we discovered this, Roger's father and I, we did not consider it a problem, since sixteen people had attended his birth and we had a movie and many still photographs of the event. He subsequently had all his childhood shots, attended school and all the other things children do. When he turned fifteen and wanted to get a driver's license, it was necessary for him to have a birth certificate. So we inquired as to the necessary documentation, which, besides sworn statements from both his father and me that we were his true parents, included records of his early pediatric care and his school records, all certified to be genuine. We produced these records, and after some checking by the State of Minnesota, a birth certificate was granted. Roger then not only got his driver's license, but when he turned eighteen, he registered for the draft, registered to vote, and cast his first vote in 1998 (for now governor Jesse Ventura).

The U.S. Department of State asked Roger to produce the same documents we had used to get his birth certificate...we had to get new certified copies...to be sent to them. We also asked Martin Sabo, our congressman, to look into the matter. Of particular concern to us was why his certified Minnesota birth certificate was not accepted by the federal government as valid? We worried that if they would not accept it, who, outside of Minnesota, would? We also asked both our Senators, Paul Wellstone and newly elected Mark Dayton and our Governor, Jesse Ventura, to look into the matter. Congressman Sabo's office was the only one to acknowledge our letter.

One of Sabo's assistants wrote and asked Roger to produce ADDITIONAL documentation, a copy of his drivers license, etc. When we objected that this was not exactly the kind of "assistance" we were seeking, we were told by Ms. Georgia O'Brien that if we wanted their help, that we should comply both with her requests and with those of the State Department. Period. Since we regarded this as no help at all, we began to collect the documents the State Department had requested. I also accompanied Roger to the local passport office, and asked them to help. They called the Seattle office on our behalf, which resulted in a request for still MORE documents!

On Roger's behalf, I began to send the documents, as we received them. It is no simple matter to obtain certified documents, since a special person must be present to certify them. None of the letters from the Department of State contained a signature, nor the name of whomever composed the letters. The only reference to contacting the Department of State was a 900 number, 900-225-5674. I called this number once, to tell them we had begun to send the documentation and to ask when we could expect Roger to get his passport. I was told that, for $35, I could "expedite the matter" and that amount was charged to my credit card. To date, I have spent nearly $100 obtaining documentation.

This resulted in yet ANOTHER request for MORE documentation, now including a certified statement from the birth attendant, a special form (DSP 10...whatever that might be...they said it was enclosed, but it was not) to be filled out by "a parent, an older relative or a medical attendant" which is to include the applicant's name, date and place of birth, how the affiant acquired knowledge of these facts and circumstances regarding the delay in filing the birth. In addition, I am to provide records of my pre- and post- natal care...of which I had none, Roger being my fifth birth. Finally, records were requested of rent receipts, employment records, medical or welfare records from the time of Roger's birth...none of which we have or could acquire, since Roger's place of birth, our home, was long ago torn down...for "urban renewal". Finally, they want certified birth certificates of ALL Roger's siblings. Roger has 14 brothers and sisters, all American citizens and living scattered throughout the United States.

In short, the United States Department of State has made it quite clear that no matter WHAT evidence Roger submits, they will not accept it as "sufficient" to establish his citizenship. I have no reason to expect that my complying with these requests (demands?), even if I could, would be sufficient to satisfy whatever nameless bureaucrat is "taking care" of this matter.

I work at Proex, a place where photographic film is developed. In addition, we take special photographs for passport and immigration purposes. I daily take photos of clients who can not or can barely speak English and who are ROUTINELY obtaining passports and immigration certificates!

My father and Roger's grandfather, Simon Davidson (deceased) whose last name Roger assumed, was an Air Force bombardier during World War II in a B17. His plane was shot down over Germany, and, at the time of MY birth, in Chicago, in 1943, he was incarcerated in a Nazi prisoner of war camp. As a Jew, this was not a pleasant experience. He was wounded in the plane shoot-down, and later received a purple heart and bronze star for his service to our country. My mother, Dorothy Levi, died during childbirth, so my father returned home from the war to raise me as a single parent.

Roger's father, Willy Chaplin, served in the U.S. Army, Army Security Agency, the military arm of the National Security Agency, from 1954 to 1957, when he was honorably discharged. His service number was RA16487115.

As I said earlier, Roger has registered for the draft and if there were another war, we assume that he would be called to serve his country and risk his life as well.

Does anyone else out there find this outrageous? I certainly do. Please help, if you can.

Sincerely,
Gypsy née Dorothy Davidson
Mother of Roger Davidson

Talk to you later...

If you buy them from here, we get a kickback!

We need:
his full name
current address
daytime telephone number
an enlarged copy of his MN drivers license
a copy of his birth certificate, if available his date of departure

Our office will contact the passport agency as soon as we receive the necessary information.

Thank you,

Georgia O'Brien - Congressman Sabo's Minneapolis Office Staff
612-664-8000

Thanks to all you folks who helped by writing to various politicians, Roger finally received his passport in February

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