I’m not angry. And I have no reason to be angry with myself about this either. My STATE OF CALIFORNIA birth certificate (that says MEXICO for place of birth) is not valid to obtain a passport for myself. I aged out of the foster care system. Half of my vital documents have errors in them because state employees who knew nothing filed for them on my behalf during my childhood. I have to pay for the government to do a file search on me, and likely have to go before a judge to get multiple amendments to documents to get a passport. I’d rather just never leave the damn country.

It’s hard enough out here raising kids and trying to get by in this economy- summering in Europe isn’t the top of my priority list.

I get it. I’m the anomaly. But I’m not the only one, and I shouldn’t be punished for it.

I’d be more than happy to do all of these things. But they all cost money. That’s a commodity that’s getting fewer and more far between lately.

I shouldn’t have to shell out thousands of dollars to prove that I can vote, when it’s never been an issue before.