emhelmer

A question on the Naturalization Application

As I was reading the naturalization application for a class in school, I stumbled upon a question that surprised me.   The application asks under question 22 if the applicant has ever failed to support your dependents or to pay alimony.  Now, I am unaware as to why this comes as a complete shock to me.  It makes sense to me why our government would ask the future inhabitants this, however, if someone were to come up to me and ask me to think up questions to ask on the naturalization application, I would have never thought of this one.  What catches my attention about this particular question is because I have some friends who have failed to support their dependents.  These friends of mine are American, and do not have to worry about failing the application.  I’m also thinking that my friends are not the only one who has failed this question on the application.  I guess it just surprised me to read a question on the application to becoming an American when we aren’t “picture perfect” in that department ourselves.  In the real world, if the application would hold everybody to this standard, I suppose they would stop the programs to help those who are finacially dependent on government and make it a mandatory thing that one must find a way to support his or her dependents at all costs.  I’m hoping that is not going to be the case though, ever.  Then again, I also understand that if the government has to pay for more and more families, the national debt will continue to “sky rocket” out of here.  It makes sense to have a question on the application like this, to get a heads up on the person’s background regarding his or her finances.