My moral turpitude?

[luzula]

I'm filling in a form that's required to enter the United States. These are the kinds of questions they ask (and presumably, it's stuff they can use to deny you entry).

Do you have a communicable disease; physical or mental disorder; or are you a drug abuser or addict?

Have you ever been arrested or convicted for an offense or crime involving moral turpitude?

I had to look that up. Apparently turpitude = inherent baseness. Hmmmm.

Are you seeking entry to engage in criminal or immoral activities?

If I'm trying to get into the US to commit crimes, do you really think I'm going to tell you so? Also, immoral activities--how am I supposed to know what you consider immoral? Maybe I'm going to write explicit pornography while I'm there. What do you think of that, Department of Homeland Security?

I wonder if anyone ever answers yes to this question.

Comments

[jesse_the_k]

The last two questions are also asked in the application for a residency permit "Green Card." When I took a class in tutoring English-language learners about the residency & citizenship paperwork, I asked your exact question.

Here was the exact reply:

The bureacracy doesn't expect to rat yourself out. However, the citizenship application asks if you've ever "knowingly mislead the government." So if you lied in this form to get the VISA, and then don't tell the truth about it when applying for a green card or citizenship, you're doubly screwed.

[luzula]

Hmmm. Is that so they will have an excuse to throw you out if they find out that you have in fact been convicted for crimes before, but lied about it?

Yeah, I still find it a bit strange.

[jesse_the_k]

Oh, it's strange alright.

Another question on the citizenship application is straight out of Kafka:

"D15 Have you ever committed a crime or offense for which you've not been arrested?"

So if you have committed a felony, they can prevent you from applying. If you lie about committing a felony, that is in itself a felony, for which they can deport you.

[innocentsmith]

"Turpitude"? That's hilarious. Are you trying to enter the 19th century United States?

Maybe I'm going to write explicit pornography while I'm there. What do you think of that, Department of Homeland Security?

I don't know about Homeland Security, but I support this sort of immoral activity!

[luzula]

Are you trying to enter the 19th century United States?

Well, I don't know? At this rate, I'm almost expecting them to object to me being an unmarried woman traveling alone.

[andeincascade.livejournal.com]

Maybe I'm going to write explicit pornography while I'm there. What do you think of that, Department of Homeland Security?

Well. I certainly hope so. *g*

[luzula]

Well, I'll probably have to do last-minute writing on my Big Bang fic, which is not really porn.

But, you know, that question just gives me an immature desire to do something they'd disapprove of. Heh, it's such a teenage impulse.

[meresy.livejournal.com]

...crime involving moral turpitude?

LOL USA. It makes me wonder how similar Canadian documents would phrase the question, if they even do. We're not as concerned with moral turpitude up here, I don't think, though with the government who even knows...

...Have you ever attempted to overthrow the government?

[luzula]

Heh, I think the closest I've come is obstructing the logging machines of the state-owned forestry company.

[kill-claudio.livejournal.com]

Lol. Apart from the antiquated phrasing, surely every crime involves moral turpitude? That's what makes it, you know, criminal.

I remember in my teens I briefly joined the Socialist Workers Party. I hate to think how they would respond to that.

[luzula]

Well, they have some fine print on the moral turpitude, but it doesn't really clarify anything for me: Such offenses generally involve conduct which is inherently base, vile, or depraved and contrary to the accepted rules of morality and the duties owed to persons or society in general.

[thursdaynext-27.livejournal.com]

Turpitude?

I love how they use a word on the form that most people who live here couldn't tell you what it means.

[luzula]

Yes, that is hilarious. Actually, I just discovered that they have a version of this form in Swedish, too. And the word they use there is just as 19th century.