What does 'natural born citizen' really mean ?

WorldNetDaily ^ | August 10, 2009 | Drew Zahn

[RobinMasters]

The months of arguments over President Obama's eligibility to occupy the Oval Office – based on the U.S. Constitution's requirement that the cheif executive be a "natural born" citizen – have been fueled both by the president's decision to withhold his original long-form birth certificate, thereby leaving some questions unanswered, and by arguments over just exactly what is a "natural born" citizen.

Some argue that since Obama's father was a citizen of Kenya and thus a British subject in 1961, his son's birth in Hawaii that year would have granted Obama dual British-U.S. citizenship. Obama's campaign website admitted as much prior to the election.

Attorney Mario Apuzzo, one of several lawyers filing lawsuits over Obama's eligibility to serve as president, believes the double claim on Obama's citizenship disqualifies him from fulfilling the requirement of Article 2, Section 1, of the Constitution, which states no person except a "natural born" citizen shall be eligible to the office of president.

"'Natural born citizen' status requires not only birth on U.S. soil but also birth to parents who are both U.S. citizens," Apuzzo asserts on his website. "It is only by combining at birth in the child both means to inherit these two sources of citizenship that the child by nature and therefore also by law is born with only one allegiance and loyalty."

[ctdonath2]

It means you were born a citizen.

[real_patriotic_american]

Free Obama’s original long form birth certificate.

[Non-Sequitur]

bump

[BohDaThone]

Correct. Focus on place of birth, not on what some other countries do. It would be outrageous, and certainly unacceptable if, for example, a person born on american soil of two american citizens born in cuba, were to be ineligible because Cuba decided that the person was also still a Cuban citizen. Germany gives citizenship to the the descendents of folks who moved to the Tsar's Russia 300 yers ago. Such rules of other countries don't affect what OUR rules are. If Obama wasn't born in the US, go get him. But don't claim that what other countries say (or what his parents did or didn't do while he was a child) can change his status for American law purposes. We don't like it when the Supreme Court tries to invoke "foreign law" -- we shouldn't either.

PS -- can someone find a black person born in Hawaii around 1962 and see if their birth certificate (short or long form) says "AFRICAN" as Obama's is supposed to?? And/or, have some one born in Hawaii around that time request their OWN long-form certificate, thus showing how easy it would be to do?

[Eagle Eye]

It means you were born a citizen.

Born of citizens as well.

[Terpfen]

"It is only by combining at birth in the child both means to inherit these two sources of citizenship that the child by nature and therefore also by law is born with only one allegiance and loyalty."

Apuzzo needs an editor. This sentence is indecipherable.

[GBA]

According to some of what is written in this article, being born to two American citizens, even if you were not born on American soil, would make you a natural born citizen. Being born on American soil to other than two American citizen parents would mean you were not a natural born citizen.

By what is written in obama's supposed "auto" biographies, his father is not an American citizen and it would seem his BC would confirm this. If true, regardless of where obama was born, Barry isn't eligible to be Prez. And, if that is true, what comes next?

[real_patriotic_american]

You make the same statement as me! Hussein stated that his father was a Kenyan national. He must have been being careless, because he “let the cat out of the bag.” The bottomline is that Hussein is not eligible to serve as President.

You wrote-
“According to some of what is written in this article, being born to two American citizens, even if you were not born on American soil, would make you a natural born citizen. Being born on American soil to other than two American citizen parents would mean you were not a natural born citizen.
By what is written in obama’s supposed “auto” biographies, his father is not an American citizen and it would seem his BC would confirm this. If true, regardless of where obama was born, Barry isn’t eligible to be Prez. And, if that is true, what comes next?”

[Perchant]

a person born on american soil of two american citizens born in cuba, were to be ineligible because Cuba decided that the person was also still a Cuban citizen.

Who is suggesting that of a person born to parents who are both US citizens? That is a straw man example.

If natural citizenship status were to be granted to anyone other than a person born on US soil to two US citizen parents, then you might have a dilemma. The dilemma would work in each direction, on both nations. Consider Panama and the US both requiring John McCain to report for mandatory military service on his 18th birthday. Is he a deserter and a traitor in the nation for which he doesn't report for duty?

The framers of the 14th Amendment took no chances with that. "Subject to the jurisdiction thereof" means “full and complete jurisdiction”. Those are the words of the author and framer of the amendment, Jacob Howard.

Howard made clear those who weren't granted citizenship constitutionally. “persons born in the United States who are foreigners, aliens, who belong to the families of ambassadors or foreign ministers.” as well as Indians.

Those, as well as persons born to US citizens overseas, as determined not to be natural born by statute in the Naturalization Act of 1795, cover nearly all instances.

To the extent that treaties obscure citizenship status, those aspects of the treaty are unconstitutional.

[GBA]

The bottomline is that Hussein is not eligible to serve as President.

Certainly, that would appear to be the most likely case. So...what next?

Most of the writers and such who dare consider the "what next?" question suggest a violent civil war or close to it if an attempt is made to dethrone the obamamessiah.

Could be. Like they say, "elections have consequences."

[Iron Munro]

We can be fairy certain there are some categories easily eliminated.

We do know it doesn’t mean a Kenyan born, muslim schooled, illegal alien.

[dalereed]

Somewhere on earth not by cesarean! /s

[El Gato]

Focus on place of birth, not on what some other countries do. It would be outrageous, and certainly unacceptable if, for example, a person born on american soil of two American citizens born in cuba, were to be ineligible because Cuba decided that the person was also still a Cuban citizen.

It's not that the parents or parent are citizens of some other country, it's that they are *not* citizens of the US. What, in your example, Cuba thinks or says they are, matters not. What the US says they are counts.

Dual citizenship of the parents, is no issue, it's their status as US Citizens that counts. BHO Sr, was never a US Citizen. Stanley Ann Dunham/Obama/Soetero was.

[real_patriotic_american]

I don’t buy the “there will be riots” when Hussein in removed from office. The thugs in the streets don’t run this country. If a few want to riot, put them in prison.

[Uncle Chip]

"'Natural born citizen' status requires not only birth on U.S. soil but also birth to parents who are both U.S. citizens," Apuzzo asserts on his website.

That's what the Senate also affirmed in SR511 signed by Obama himself, acknowledging therefore that he can't be a natural born citizen.

[ADSUM]

Other questions that should be answered:

Did Obama’s parents revoke his US citizenship when he lived in Indonesia?
Did he acquire Indonesian citizenship and passport?
What country's passport did he travel on to Pakistan?
Does dual citizenship (British, Kenya, Indonesian)affect “natural born” US citizenship?

[Kleon]

If you’re a citizen at the time of your birth, you’re a natural born citizen, simple as that.

[DaveTesla]

“If you’re a citizen at the time of your birth, you’re a natural born citizen, simple as that.”

Unless you study Constitutional law that is.

Center column 3rd paragraph down:

http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=llcg&fileName=071/llcg071.db&recNum=2

you have to turn to page 1291

According to the the principal framer (John Armor Bingham )of the 14th amendment, particularly
Citizenship and the Citizenship Clause (Defining who was a citizen of the United States) and by Mr. Obama’s
own admission he is not a Natural Born citizen.

“I find no fault with the introductory clause [S 61 Bill],
which is simply declaratory of what is written in the Constitution, that every human being born within the
jurisdiction of the United States of parents not owing allegiance to any foreign sovereignty is, in the language
of your Constitution itself, a natural born citizen… . . – John Bingham in the United States House on March 9, 1866”