Zack left?

[Yorkie]

dani wrote:

I am sure a lot of them do come from wealthy backgrounds but some of them clearly do not, i would point out some names but i wont im sure people can make there own minds up on the who some of the working class boys are.

But for example 2 of the boys " one no longer goes there" was at a school where somebody got stabbed in the eye with a pencil and that made the papers. So that sums up some of the schools in South London and where some of the boys go to.



They don't know what tough is these days. Why when I was a lad......






*p.s.* not making fun of the victim of the attack which must have been terrible.

[dani]

Yorkie thanks for youtube clip made me chuckle

[Rich]

plus some of the boys live in Norbury. . . . . and to be honest its a crap hole and thats putting it mildly. Nobody with any real money would live there.

Being from the US, I can't say whether or not what you say is true, but judging from the surroundings, when I visit St. Philip's for Evensong, I make sure I walk back to the train station before the sun goes down!

Rich

Never been Rich but I assume from your comment that it is full of vampires around there?????

You never know. . . .but I heeded the Vicar's advice when he recommended I not walk the half mile trek to the station after dark.

[TEB]

You don't actually have to be born in the US to be an American citizen. If at least one of your parents is an American citizen and has lived in the US for more than 5 years you are considered a "natural born citizen" even if you were born outside of the United States. Think about it, there are literally tens of thousands of American military personnel living with their families overseas. Are you going to tell them that if their kids are born while in an Army hospital in Germany, Korea, Japan, etc. that their kids aren't Americans? Do that and I promise you it's going to be very difficult to provide adequate officer staff for America's committments to its allies.

From what I was taught in school, way back in the dark ages of the '70's , all American military bases and embassy's are considered to be American soil. So, you would be correct with saying anyone born on the bases are automatically citizens. I am not sure how that works with civilians, such as Ben's dad though. Even though he is an American, I am not sure his children would automatically be, if born in a London hospital. That could be why Mr. Philip brought the family home for the children to be born. I will have to do some research on this.
This is an interesting conversation.

[TEB]

I just talked some with my source about Mini Ben. His father has made sure that the family was in the US for the birth of all his children since he wanted them to be citizens of the country of his birth. So all of the Phillip kids are Americans.

Well, it just goes to show they take anybody in then

None of you Yanks taking the bait I thought more of you than that!

I only just got on, 10:30pm est(22:13), so I didn't get a chance yet

Hey!! Now!!

Don't forget, we have one of the best rock bands ever to take the stage. Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

[TEB]

I must admit that from the outside looking in and hearing a number of the boys speak at concerts and on the DVD that one gets the impression that they are from the upper classes. That's just the impression I get. I have never been to that part of London but am surprised to hear it described as a crap hole !!

My own two cents worth here. You can't always tell what class a person may be in from how they talk. I am well spoken, use proper English grammer and have some knowledge of music and books but I am also poor. I make less than $15,000 a year. I grew up dirt poor. I currently drive a 20 year old Chevy and wear clothes from the Salvation Army store. But, I read alot, listen to alot of good music. Just because I am poor doesn't mean I have to talk and act like a hick or a hoodie.
I think one of the good thing for the poorer and the more afluant boys in Libera is that they all get to be just the same.

Jude, it is really good to see you back again and posting. Welcome home.

[tcenrt]

Unfortunately after spending the first part of my life in a British colony, I do understand a bit about this British accent thing. Although American's accent only distinquishes the differences between districts, British accents separate class. (There are people I know that would hire tutor just to get their kids to speak with an Oxford or Cambridge accent. )

Ann

[DrewE]

From what I was taught in school, way back in the dark ages of the '70's :shock: , all American military bases and embassy's are considered to be American soil. So, you would be correct with saying anyone born on the bases are automatically citizens. I am not sure how that works with civilians, such as Ben's dad though. Even though he is an American, I am not sure his children would automatically be, if born in a London hospital. That could be why Mr. Philip brought the family home for the children to be born. I will have to do some research on this.
This is an interesting conversation.

If your parents are American citizens living or traveling overseas when you're born, you're an American citizen. I believe the embassy (or consulate, I suppose, if appropriate) would in that case be where the legal paperwork is filed.

(That really seems to me to be the only sensible way to do things. Consider what would happen otherwise to a child born while on a transoceanic cruise; that child would have no nationality.)

One authoritative reference: http://travel.state.gov/law/info/info_609.html

Of course, the laws vary for other nations, but I rather doubt any country would deny citizenship to a child born to two nationals while they are overseas.

[TEB]

Thanks Drew,
That makes alot of sense.

[libera36]

You don't actually have to be born in the US to be an American citizen. If at least one of your parents is an American citizen and has lived in the US for more than 5 years you are considered a "natural born citizen" even if you were born outside of the United States. Think about it, there are literally tens of thousands of American military personnel living with their families overseas. Are you going to tell them that if their kids are born while in an Army hospital in Germany, Korea, Japan, etc. that their kids aren't Americans? Do that and I promise you it's going to be very difficult to provide adequate officer staff for America's committments to its allies.

From what I was taught in school, way back in the dark ages of the '70's , all American military bases and embassy's are considered to be American soil. So, you would be correct with saying anyone born on the bases are automatically citizens. I am not sure how that works with civilians, such as Ben's dad though. Even though he is an American, I am not sure his children would automatically be, if born in a London hospital. That could be why Mr. Philip brought the family home for the children to be born. I will have to do some research on this.
This is an interesting conversation.

Wow, there is a lot more to this than I thought One of my best friends has dual citizenship (Canada and America) because both of her parents are Canadian and she was born in the US. So would the laws depend on both countries then? Another thing I was wondering about was the adoption rules in the UK. Does the person adopting have to be a British citizen? I read a book about similar circumstances, but it was very vague on the details.

[heeh91]

I just talked some with my source about Mini Ben. His father has made sure that the family was in the US for the birth of all his children since he wanted them to be citizens of the country of his birth. So all of the Phillip kids are Americans.

so ben is not an only child? haha it would be interesting to see a mini-mini-ben type join the group!

[hyphus27]

Unfortunately after spending the first part of my life in a British colony, I do understand a bit about this British accent thing. Although American's accent only distinquishes the differences between districts, British accents separate class. (There are people I know that would hire tutor just to get their kids to speak with an Oxford or Cambridge accent. )

Ann

that's really interesting. paying tutors to speak the essentially the same language, but with a different accent...kinda reminds me of My Fair Lady. lol. what is the equivalent of a Oxford/Cambrige accent in America?

also, i can vouch for what Drew said. i was born in the Philippines, but am an American citizen by birth because my dad was/is one. and i have a nice little Consular Report of Birth Abroad to prove it.

[TullyBascombe]

From what I was taught in school, way back in the dark ages of the '70's , all American military bases and embassy's are considered to be American soil. So, you would be correct with saying anyone born on the bases are automatically citizens. I am not sure how that works with civilians, such as Ben's dad though. Even though he is an American, I am not sure his children would automatically be, if born in a London hospital. That could be why Mr. Philip brought the family home for the children to be born. I will have to do some research on this.
This is an interesting conversation.

Depending upon the exact wording of the treaty establishing the bases the country in which thoise bases are on can close them with due notice, so no, they're not reallyUS territory. Examples of such were the American bases in France prior to deGaulle and the US bases in the Phillipines in the late 1970s. In the case of the former deGaulle decided that France wasn't going to play second fiddle to America, in the case of the latter the Phillipine government decided that it needed an outragious hike in rent. It's true that usually the military has jurisdiction over its own personnel on these bases, but I think you'll find that the host country retains jurisdiction over its own citizens.

The question of citizenship of children born to US citizens outside the US wasn't considered by the Constitution, it was subsequently established by Federal law.

[Yorkie]

Depending upon the exact wording of the treaty establishing the bases the country in which thoise bases are on can close them with due notice, so no, they're not reallyUS territory. Examples of such were the American bases in France prior to deGaulle and the US bases in the Phillipines in the late 1970s. In the case of the former deGaulle decided that France wasn't going to play second fiddle to America, in the case of the latter the Phillipine government decided that it needed an outragious hike in rent. It's true that usually the military has jurisdiction over its own personnel on these bases, but I think you'll find that the host country retains jurisdiction over its own citizens.

The question of citizenship of children born to US citizens outside the US wasn't considered by the Constitution, it was subsequently established by Federal law.

Any idea about the US bases here in the UK? They are nominally called RAF xxxx but in reality they are little USA towns transplanted to England!

RAF Menwith Hill is just a few miles from me and is part of the NSA. It was a prime target for a Russian nuke strike during the cold war! Probably still is

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Menwith_Hill

[Yorkie]

Depending upon the exact wording of the treaty establishing the bases the country in which thoise bases are on can close them with due notice, so no, they're not reallyUS territory. Examples of such were the American bases in France prior to deGaulle and the US bases in the Phillipines in the late 1970s. In the case of the former deGaulle decided that France wasn't going to play second fiddle to America, in the case of the latter the Phillipine government decided that it needed an outragious hike in rent. It's true that usually the military has jurisdiction over its own personnel on these bases, but I think you'll find that the host country retains jurisdiction over its own citizens.

The question of citizenship of children born to US citizens outside the US wasn't considered by the Constitution, it was subsequently established by Federal law.

Any idea about the US bases here in the UK? They are nominally called RAF xxxx but in reality they are little USA towns transplanted to England!

RAF Menwith Hill is just a few miles from me and is part of the NSA. It was a prime target for a Russian nuke strike during the cold war! Probably still is

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Menwith_Hill

Anyway, I bet mini Ben wears Union Jack boxers, so I wouldn't worry about all this is he American stuff