There are two types of law. There is positive law - this is man-made law, such as the Constitution, laws from Congress, state law, local ordinances, and so on. And then there is natural law - this is the law of nature, or the divine. An example would be when the founders wrote the Declaration of Independence, and stated :
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.That is a form of natural law. So, the term natural born citizen means EXACTLY what it says, a citizen at birth according to natural law.
OK - what is a citizen by natural law? Remember, a natural law is one that is unwritten. So a citizen by natural law, would be a citizen that would require no man made positive law to be a citizen. So, when is someone a citizen without need of any positive law? When they can be nothing else. Does that sound familiar? Ever heard someone answer a question with the word naturally, because the answer could be nothing else? Does Monday come after Sunday? Naturally! Who can be nothing other than a citizen at birth, and therefore requires no positive law?
There are 4 basic variables governing citizenship.
- Born in or out of a country.
- Both parents are citizens.
- One parent is a citizen.
- Neither parent is a citizen.
Maybe where a person is born shouldnt really matter. Ive seen many immigrants who are much more patriotic than natural born Americans. But there is a process to go thru if that is the case, and that process is the Amendment process. But that probably wouldnt go through. So what do they do? They simply ignore that part of the Constitution. The real danger is what part do they decide to ignore next?