Readers Write: Let Us Travel in Peace

I am writing to voice my extreme frustration and indignation about the ongoing crisis relating to travelling in and out of the United States as it relates to obtaining passports in a reasonably timely fashion. 

I, like so many others, have applied for a U.S. Passport renewal a few months ago. I have still not heard from the State Department, which issues passports. 

I have no idea where this delay is coming from, and I have no idea what kind excuse they can possibly have for delaying this. I have spoken with passport expeditors, and they have shared with me that even they are having problems expediting passports. 

I have also read the reports about the terrible, long delays and bureaucracy in getting passports for United States citizens in Israel—something that hampered Yom Tov for so many young families in Eretz Yisroel, as they were unable to bring their young children to be with their zeidies and bubbies in America. 

And I would like to say: if our government can’t provide a document that they have themselves imposed on us, then they have no right to demand that we obtain it! 

This issue repeats itself in so many areas: the government invents a law, and then makes it nearly impossible to go through the process of complying with that law. 

When you think about it, government is pretty bad at getting almost anything done, and everything they touch turns to dung. Perhaps they should outsource passport processing, and so many other services to private companies. 

I’ll bet I’d have my passport back in two weeks or less. 

Frustrated, 

E. K., Boro Park