The Passport Free Essay Example, 1000 words

Modern concepts of nation is changing. The passport is the first and foremost document that not only identifies a person according to the country but also according to the values and culture it harbors. The passport unites the nation on common ethos goals and interests. Eventually these values standardize national languages. This trend is relatively recent and creates animosity towards other languages. The changing concept of nationalities based on languages creates a social competition among the countries. Sometimes passports divide the people. It was the case when the Indian subcontinent won freedom from the British Raj. The whole sub-continent was one country with a single passport. But after it was divided into two countries, people that spoke the same languages and ate the same food and shared much of the history were now holding two passports. Later, it becomes a matter of pride to honor one’s passport. They forget the common heritage and compete against each other in business, trade, education, languages and weapons. The passport fortifies languages and creates a chain reaction; it invents culture around linguistic superiority. We will write a custom essay sample on The Passport or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now Every nation tries to uphold its language and lives under assumed or real linguistic dominance over other nations. When borders are formed based on linguistics, it creates a competition among the people to prove their superiority over others. Technology In a broader context, passports have made travel much safer. With modern technology, the passports are becoming more difficult to copy and manipulate. It means that no person with an invalid visa or a replica passport can travel internationally. In theory, it is the best method to ensure that no one should be allowed to exploit international travel for illegal activities. These criminal activities include but not limited to drug trafficking, human trafficking, smuggling ammunitions, exporting or importing exotic animals, and the list goes on. With the innovation in technology, passports are becoming safer, efficient and more reliable. There are talks of incorporating the biometric system and a microchip in the passport to double and triple check the safety standards. The biometric data will record and identify things like fingerprints, photographs and iris patterns (Benedictus, 2006). Currently, the Nicaraguan passport is considered one of the safest passports as it hosts a total of 89 separate security features (Benedictus, 2006). It is considered one of the least forgeable documents in the world.