Privilege To Have A Passport

It has long been held as a mark of a free society that every citizen is allowed to travel, wherever they want, and governments that denied their citizens the right to travel, have long been denounced as oppressive regimes. Not being entitled to a passport, has long been unthinkable in the west. Today, this gem sheds some light on the state of one of those societies that claims to be the freest ever, worldwide:

http://kdvr.com/2012/02/21/denver-family-stranded-after-passport-denied-because-of-crease/

Quote:

"To have a passport is privilege, it's not entitled to you by citizenship."

I can only hope that the guy who made this statement is rather a nobody than a government official. But nevertheless, the interpretation of what a passport is (property of the respective government, not the holder), and what the right to a passport is (a privilege instead of a basic, unalienable right for everyone) should raise awareness with all freedom-loving people in the west about domestic problems.