My(26F) Husband(27M) has asked me not to apply for American citizenship because of his political views.

Having lived through the Paris garbage strikes last year, I confirm 100% that life is worse when the garbage isn't picked up every day.

And I wish more people had respect for the people who do the real hard jobs in society.

Well, if you didn't show up for a fire, the world would definitely become a worse place for someone! But yes, I get your point.

OP, where do you work and pay taxes? In the US? Well, then I guess you contribute and have the right to apply for citizenship. Your husband is weird.

I like your analogy, especially given some people look down on jobs like garbage removal etc, and it's so true because the world would become more disgusting and dirty because we wouldn't want to have to take all our rubbish to the tip every week. Esp people who have no transport themselves etc. They do an extremely valuable job that benefits society greatly.

However I wouldn't say your analogy quits fit with you being a firefighter, as the world and people would also suffer gravely without you in it. People's houses would burn down to the ground. More lives would be lost without you saving them. Businessness / schools/ hospitals even could burn down with nobody to save the building. Local land and fields and woodland forests would burn down, affecting crops and wildlife and the eco system. Look at the effects of the wild fires in Australia and how damaging they are. Firefighters help minimise the damage once a fire has started. OK so not every single building can be saved, but many many are saved from ruin, and many many lives are saved.

Without you, the world definitely would be a worse place, so thank you for your commitment, sacrifice and service to such a dangerous job. ❤️🏭🚒🎖🏆

But I do like your analogy and the meaning and example behind it. There are many jobs that contribute to the functioning and running and greatness to each country and our lives. We certainly got a sight of that during the pandemic when many 'non essential workers' stopped working. You were still essential. ❤️

I suspect she needs to pursue her citizenship, for her own protection. There may be other motives here, perhaps threats on the horizon…

I think she should put this to the test. See how much he actually means it.

I would say the husband has control issues. Whether she applies for citizenship or not would not impact him a bit. However I feel that husband thinks if she applies for citizenship she’ll have more independence from him. Holding spouse’s immigration status over their head and weaponizing it is quite common that is why in the 90s the congress passed VAWA , to deal with those specific issues.

Or rather, how many other political views this guy shares with the Starship Troopers franchise.

I would fear him trying to sabotage her. No vehicle for her to get to the testing site, etc.

A lot of men discourage citizenship for their wives because they think “now she can leave me!”, whereas they are captives without it.

OP, get your citizenship. Do not rely on your husband for help because he might give you wrong answers on purpose.

I know right, imagine living with someone who loves you but believes your unworthy. The superiority over the something so personal as national/cultural identity must be hurtful on a deeper level. There must be other examples of his "passionate views" that he subjugates her with. This can't be the only thing for sure.

I did not want to mention it in my post, I remember times when the couple divorces and the person who is not a citizen is sent back to their country as they lose their sponsorship. I am concerned about his motive. Other countries the woman accepts the husbands direction without question. I want her to stand tall and become an American.

As a veteran myself; bingo.  His oath is to the constitution and all of its amendments.

This immediately came to mind for me. His belief is contradictory to the US Constitution.  I was never a service member of the armed forces. My father was, and my mother the mental health director for va (she was a naturalized citizen), I worked in direct support role for the Navy. Does my mother's years of service to the veteran community mean less than my father's uniformed service?  Do the teachers, doctors, mechanics, police and fire/ems, and transportation workers not count as "enough".  Also, the nations with required service are much smaller in population. The cost to the government (and the tax payers) would be astronomical. Service members are clothed, fed, and sheltered by their service branch. These essentials are not free and the logistics it would take is mind boggling.

Yes and my oath said I defend against all enemies, foreign and domestic. He's a domestic one. Anyone who is in military service and doesn't agree with the constitution should be in a different line of work.

Legit

This is what I was thinking. This is fucking crazy, especially since our fine country regularly deports veterans when they struggle after their service ends and denies them what they should have been more accessible to them in the first place: a legitimate path to citizenship.

Thank you all for your service.

Or what about people who can’t “cOnTrIbUtE” because they’re disabled? Guess we should cut off all those losers with Down syndrome from the freeloading SSI payments and medical care!! 

But yet I’m sure he’s anti abortion too. Make it make sense.

It is literally Starship Troopers. I am sure the idea came before Heinlein's book, but I would be willing to bet that a lot of people who believe it took it from that.

I dunno. People are weird. I have met the occasional veteran who read Starship Troopers and went, “yes, that’s how things should be.”

But most veterans would not agree.

Well the dude was a Jarhead so maybe that's the only book he was allowed to have read to him

That was my first thought too. I first read the book way back in college for my science fiction literature class.

Patriotism is not harmful.

Nationalism is

He went through school to become an officer. He learned about the constitution. Then when he got his commission as an air force offocer, he SWORE AN OATH to uphold and protect it.

An oath he immediately breaks in his private life.

This trash doesn't deserve his commission, or to serve. He only serves himself.

I didn’t get that myself, though it’s kind of ambiguous. The 14th Amendment is about birthright citizenship so him joining the military would reconcile his views only if he was born in the US. OP hasn’t otherwise commented.

She just wrote that he only considered himself a citizen after military service. That doesn't mean he wasn't one, just that he gives his dream world priority over actual facts

From what I can understand from the post, the husband himself is not American born,

Or.... he's just saying that about his citizenship views to be manipulative and controlling. If she has her own citizenship, it's easier for her to leave and live independently.

She didn't mention having kids and I hope for her sake she's on birth control. This dude is a few grains short in the silo.

This is fucking wild to me. I didn't even know this was a belief people had. Military would never take me (combination of physical ailments and mental health shit) so I guess I'm just not a citizen of anywhere XD

If OP’s husband thinks citizenship should only be granted to those truly “born American” who have a natural right based on location of birth, historical ownership of the land, and service to the nation, the Indigenous peoples of the Americas would like a word.

Countries are fake lines drawn in sand on a rock floating through space. The concept of "illegal aliens" is completely made up. OP, view this as the red flag it is. There is nothing inherently special about being American. Citizenship in general is a made up concept for people to separate themselves from others.

EDIT: Wow some of you have reading comprehension issues. Nowhere in this comment did I say that getting citizenship in the country you are domiciled in is stupid and worthless. Obviously we all need citizenship of some kind to participate in society. Nor did I say that government is bad and we should abolish all countries, governments, and laws. My god.

Also sounds like racism, bigotry. And a weird pride in the GPS coordinates of the hospital his mother gave birth in. Along with some delusional nonsense about what a ‘real’ American is.

That’s disgusting. All the good they could’ve done with that money and that’s what they chose.

It’s not clear here but I think he was born in America.

You're obviously correct, except

I’ve never met anyone this passionate about his country who isn’t a psycho.

This man isn't "passionate about his country," he's not even a patriot. What he is saying goes against everything the United States of America stands for.

The Fourteenth Amendment is in our Constitution. Those opposed to our Constitution are anti American. I'm surprised his views are even accepted in the military. He swore an oath to "support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; [to] ... "bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and ... [To] "take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and...well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which [he entered] ...."

This dude is a shit Marine and a shit Air Force officer.

This is what I don't understand about racist guys they can be racist then marry the people they profess to hate

TIME TO SPREAD SOME DEMOCRACY

Yup. What sticks out to me is that he’s focusing his argument on “identifying as american” when that’s not really all citizenship is about. Lots of immigrants who gain citizenship still identify with their countries of origin, but it’s obviously a huge benefit legally to go through the process when you live here, work here, intend to stay here etc.

He seems stuck on this strange idea of being an american through and through which reads more like manipulation so they’re not having a real discussion about the logistics of it all

Yeah he's kind of the worst kind of brainwashed. That's terrifying. Don't stay with him that isn't a safe or healthy mentality.

Also, he didn’t have to do jack or shit to “earn” his citizenship. He was born into it. So it is the height of privilege to think birthright citizenship is wrong. He just joined the military to square this belief in his own mind.

Also, anyone who holds on to beliefs like this since high school really hasn’t matured past that age.

Mt two cents: my ex psycho didn't show his royal flush until 3 months after we were married, 5 years dating. They hide it very well.

I know what you mean. Ultimately it makes me really sad that people are so willing to accept this sort of behaviour from their partners. One thing I try to remember is that in the past it was worse but a) people kept it to themselves more (which is obviously a bad things) and just felt it was normal, and b) there weren’t as many places like Reddit to talk about them so we just didn’t have many places to learn about the relationship dynamics of others.

Even the military would oppose this, as it entirely defies our Constitution.

He was a marine after all. They have Navy seamen read them Starship Troopers in boot camp before lights out.