Section 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside. No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
Section 2. Representatives shall be apportioned among the several states according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each state, excluding Indians not taxed. But when the right to vote at any election for the choice of electors for President and Vice President of the United States, Representatives in Congress, the executive and judicial officers of a state, or the members of the legislature thereof, is denied to any of the male inhabitants of such state, being twenty-one years of age, and citizens of the United States, or in any way abridged, except for participation in rebellion, or other crime, the basis of representation therein shall be reduced in the proportion which the number of such male citizens shall bear to the whole number of male citizens twenty-one years of age in such state.
Section 3. No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any state, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any state legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any state, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.
Section 4. The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But neither the United States nor any state shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave; but all such debts, obligations and claims shall be held illegal and void.
Section 5. The Congress shall have power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.
Yes.....I know...the 14th Amendment....thanks.
I know we’ve discussed over and over again on this forum whether or not the 14th amendment grants citizenship to all who are born here. For whatever newbies / lurkers who may not have seen it before: there are (in my opinion) persuasive arguments to indicate that the phrase “and subject to the jurisdiction thereof,” precludes citizenship for the children of foreigners without the appropriate visas, i.e. illegal aliens.
I don’t want to be redundant nor pedantic on this issue, but I also don’t want people who are new to this issue not to know that this controversy exists. So, if there’s someone who wants more details on the controversy regarding the meaning of “and subject to the jurisdiction thereof,” just indicate that desire on this thread, and I’m sure you’ll be quickly illuminated by multiple Freepers, myself included. If we all know about the relevant arguments, than I apologize for wasting your time with this post.
Wow! This is coming from the state of WA? Damn there may be hope yet.
We are the most Constitutionally illiterate generation by far. Government education dumbs down the population on purpose and you can say black is white and the sheep will believe you.