Defining the Birther Issue
Deborah Venable
05/01/11
With
all the frustrations this present administration has caused the American people
(and other global citizens) we hear the question asked all the time, “Why is
this ‘birther’ issue so important?” Indeed,
when we consider the actions of this president and his minions just since he
has been president, it is a legitimate question. We have undeniable proof, (to use anti-birther terminology) that
Obama and those surrounding him are dangerous socialist, communist radicals –
with a little too much radical Islamic sympathy mixed in. That, my dear friends, is reason enough to
be a truly frustrated American today.
I
suppose I could spend some time and track back to the original source of the
term, “birther” as defining anyone who would dare question Obama’s background,
but I really don’t care where the term came from. I do know that people of all political stripes see the term in a
negative light – and that bothers me.
We would expect everyone to shun a label like, Nazi, or brutal dictator,
but how did we get to the point of ridiculing people who simply ask for
verification of what they have been told – or better yet, a little proof of
what they have not been allowed to know – about the so-called leader of the
free world? Especially since such
qualifications are mandated by the “law of the land.”
But,
no – if you question Obama’s background in any way, you are either a racist or
a conspiracy theorist. Here’s one for
you – if you don’t, you are a hopeless fool or an idiot citizen! There, how do like them apples? Labels work both ways.
Now,
he has told us that he is seeking another term when this one is over, and he is
expecting to spend a record amount of money to get it. He is already spending slightly more time
campaigning than he does golfing – and that’s saying something!
All
this in the face of the “undeniable proof” that this man obviously has, and
isn’t afraid to display, a split allegiance to this country – and I have no
right to question his background without being ridiculed?
I
would expect his political supporters to make sport of conservatives who seek
proof of his identity, (even though, the whole issue was started by those in
his own party during his last primary season), but I am truly appalled at his
obvious political opponents, conservatives, many of whom I otherwise admire,
who jump on the bandwagon of ridicule so forcefully. My God, why did it have to take a man like Donald Trump to bring
this issue back in the forefront of political commentary again? This man has been on every conceivable
political side there is! Surely he
can’t think that he has a chance of winning an election against Obama – but
then, in a world where Obama could ever be elected – why not?
So
here, ladies and gentlemen, is the encapsulated version of my attempt to define
this “birther” issue once and for all:
The
Constitution Of the United States Of America states eligibility requirements
for president, including the necessity of being a “natural born citizen.” Too many people equate that as having been
born on American soil, but the truth is that this definition has been proven
insufficient to describe the term, “natural born” to the satisfaction of the
founders’ original intent. All it takes
is a small amount of research into the many cases that have come up in courts
throughout the existence of our country.
The most stringent definition of “natural born” is an offspring of two
American citizens with no split allegiance to this country – even if the birth
occurs on foreign soil! This definition
was most recently upheld by the Congress of the United States during the very
political campaign of Barack Obama, when not his citizenship was questioned,
but that of his opponent, John McCain.
My
question has always been, why was McCain’s natural born citizenship questioned
when Obama’s was given a pass? We were
always told that Obama’s father was NOT EVER an American citizen.
Poo-pooers
of the birther issue would say that it didn’t matter because Obama’s mother WAS
an American citizen, and therefore so was her son – especially if he was also
“anchored” on American soil. Excuse
me! Obama’s mother was only
18-years-old when he was born. At that
time in our history, she could not even VOTE, folks. Nowadays, she could not legally purchase or drink alcohol or use
tobacco products either. The only thing
she could not have been accused of being was “jail bait.” Oh, and she could still be claimed as a
(student) dependent on her parents’ IRS form and now, health insurance, thanks
to Obamacare. Levity aside, if you look
at the court cases, you will find that she was, indeed, NOT old enough to
bestow citizenship on her son for other very specific reasons. Why has a blind eye been turned to all of
this?
I
sincerely believe that the whole “birther” issue got lost in the quest for a
long form birth certificate, (which I also believe we still do not have an
accurate representation of) but that is neither here nor there at this point.
We
had ample evidence that the man, Barack Obama, had obvious split allegiance to
this country long before he was allowed on the ballot and hailed as the “duly”
elected president. The evidence to
support that has literally piled up since that election.
Shame
on my own generation for allowing such an obvious socialist/communist follower
the keys to executive power in this country!
But shame on all Americans who continue to support such an obvious fraud
– especially the elitists who groomed him and the media apologists who continue
to cover for him! Also, shame on any
American who continues to make light of this issue for any reason – even to
point out that it is a “losing” issue in a sea of “much more important” ones. That is simply a symptom of incrementalism
that has been allowed to continue for a very long time.
If
we discount any part of the Constitution, the rest is weakened. The first and second amendments have been so
infringed, incrementally, for so long that we have daily battles to try to
support the original intent of the framers – and we are slowly losing on both
fronts! We won’t even discuss what has
happened over the last year concerning the fourth amendment. Airports are unsafe places for serious
Constitutionalists at this point. In
many cases, so are the confines of your own home or property. Unlawful search and seizure happens all the
time!
I
have always discussed the birther issue from the standpoint of split allegiance
because that is so obvious to me in the founders’ original intent for
stipulating that only the president must be “natural born.” While I am sure we could find numerous
examples of natural born Americans having acquired an attitude of split
allegiance, as well as many foreign immigrants with allegiance only to America,
it was this standard that the founders employed at the time to establish
requirements for the presidency. Until
that is constitutionally changed, it cannot just be ignored so openly – or the
whole document might just as well be put through the shredder now. (I’m sure Obama and many others would
applaud that action.)
I
am truly tired of being told what is important and what isn’t important to
consider in a politician. I don’t need
“sideshow barkers” nor self-important commentators and analysts to point out
what I should be concerned about! That
completely ignores the fact that I am an individual capable of my own though
processes and prioritizing! Between the
two, though, I would think that the sideshow barkers could be more effective at
drawing the attention of the otherwise apathetic serfs to an issue like
Constitutional eligibility.
So,
go ahead and enjoy all the birth certificate jokes, faux conspiracy ramblings,
and lectures on identifying losing issues.
Nobody paid attention the first time personal liberties were attacked
and a whole bunch of my Constitutional rights were infringed either. Now I live in a country I hardly recognize
after just a few decades! If you want a
clear definition of the “birther” issue, examine the definition of good
character, and stop kicking the Constitution under the bus! All the other “so much more important”
issues are certainly not well served by a lousy character with split
allegiance!