165 people have applied for the administration's new "gold card" visa, proving that the gift of American citizenship cannot be treated like a retail commodity. The program offers immediate citizenship to those willing to pay a $1 million fee. While officials once touted the plan as a "green card on steroids," the low number of applicants suggests that the world still views our national identity with more reverence than our own leaders do. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick previously claimed the program brought in $1.3 billion, but new legal filings reveal a much humbler reality. In a quiet office in Washington, a thick vellum application sits on a heavy mahogany desk, waiting for a signature that rarely comes. Citizenship is a sacred bond between a person and their community, rooted in shared values and mutual sacrifice. It is a status earned through character and the quiet fulfillment of duty, not a luxury item for the highest bidder. When we put a price tag on our passport, we tell the world that our heritage is for sale. The failure of this commercial experiment is a victory for the traditional understanding of the nation. We are not a corporation with shareholders; we are a people with a history. Let us return to a system that values the immigrant who brings his skills and his heart to our shores, rather than the one who only brings his checkbook.