Illegal immigration is a divisive topic and has been for many years, but it seems to be near its boiling point. I am by no means an expert on the legalities or illegalities, but I have often wondered, like many of you, why immigrants don’t come into our country the legal way. The answer, I am told, is that the process is quite complicated, lengthy and costly. Still, I pondered, is it worth breaking the law and risking having you and your family deported? Then, I tried to buy a fishing license.
Yes, a fishing license. It’s a simple document with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to show that I paid a fee and can legally cast a line in the water in the state of Iowa. Sure, I could risk it and break the law, but I wanted to do the right thing. So, I visited the Iowa DNR website and attempted to buy a license, but my only choices were non-resident options. Keep in mind, I have lived in Iowa for the last 20 years. In fact, other than a four-year stint in Nebraska, I have been an Iowa resident my entire life. Apparently, though, I purchased a one-day, non-resident Iowa fishing license as a Nebraska resident a few decades ago while camping at an Iowa state park. As such, that address is carved in stone in the Iowa DNR database, and I was unable to buy an Iowa resident fishing license online. Ugh!
Still wanting to do the right thing, I bypassed the website and visited a local retailer to buy a fishing license. The clerk asked for my driver’s license, which I obediently handed over, clearly showing my Iowa address. When he pulled up my options on his screen, I saw the same results — only non-resident choices. At this point, I was willing to pay more and simply buy a non-resident license, but I couldn’t because it didn’t match the address on my driver’s license. Ugh! Ugh!
The store clerk told me to call the DNR weekdays between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. This didn’t aid me in my effort to fish that weekend, but I wanted to be a law-abiding citizen and decided to do the right thing and call on Monday. After being on hold for 10 minutes, I talked with a helpful DNR representative and explained my situation. She said I would need to fill out a “residency change” form and submit that, and she directed me to the DNR website. I could not find that form in the list of 700-plus links, despite word searching for the exact name. Ugh! Ugh! Ugh!
So, I printed the two-page form and began filling it out manually. It was a basic information request — until section two where I was instructed to attach a copy of all of the following: a recent paystub, a copy of a utility bill, my home purchase agreement, a vehicle registration and a copy of my driver’s license. Seriously. For a fishing license. Ugh! Ugh! Ugh! Ugh!
But wait. There is good news in this story. A DNR employee replied to an earlier email of mine, stating, “Hi Shane, I think I found your account and might be able to help you without you doing the application process. Please provide your Date of Birth so I can verify your account. Thank you.” And this person did. And it is fixed. And I am thankful.
Despite the frustrations, in the end, a logical human being made sense of it all, and I can soon legally fish in Iowa. This process gave me a better appreciation of what those who attempt to become legal American citizens must face. I am still not going to purposely break the law, and I don’t expect others to either, but there has to be a better way.
Have a great week, and thanks for reading.
Shane Goodman
President and Publisher
Big Green Umbrella Media
shane@dmcityview.com
515-953-4822, ext. 305 |
