"That is the problem with the courts today. They can find every reason in the book to rule the way they want to,"
Actually not in this case. I remember looking into this several years ago when the courts in CA ruled that the state had to accept illegals for health treatement.
In researching the origins of the 14th it turns out that the wording and the exclusion of the word citizen was a result of trying to protect the slaves. At the time some weren't citizens or it could be claimed to be that they weren't citizens so the drafters purposely left that word out to make sure they would be assured due process and "equal protection" in the courts. Sorry I didn't think of this in my last post.
It may have had some validity when written, but it certainly needs to be re-done!!!!
See what you think of this post, in reference to the 14th.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1347679/posts?page=75#75