President Obama Needs to Prove His Constitutional Eligibility to Be Commander-in-Chief

American Thinker ^ | April 08, 2010 | Terrence Lakin, MD

[neverdem]

Last week, I entered Walter Reed Army Hospital to notify the Department of Defense that I would refuse to obey any orders from my commanding officers -- including President Obama -- until the president produces his original birth certificate. After nearly eighteen years of wearing the military uniform of the country I have proudly served, including overseas assignments in imminent danger/combat areas in Bosnia and Afghanistan, I felt compelled to take this step. 

I made this decision from much deliberation, after lengthy consultations with many friends, family members, and colleagues, and I firmly believe that all servicemen and women, and the American public, have the right to know the truth about President Obama's constitutional eligibility to serve as Commander-in-Chief.

As military officers, we all take a solemn oath upon commissioning into the Uniformed Services. In this oath, we swear to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. Upholding the law is an essential part of our role as citizens; in the military, we are the ultimate protectors of that law. The Constitution is our social compact, which safeguards all of us and ensures the "equal rights" that we are entitled to as American citizens. 

Since Nuremberg, My Lai, and even Abu Ghraib more recently, the military has been taught the hard lessons of following illegal orders. Any reasonable person looking critically at the information and evidence currently in the public domain about Obama's birthplace would have questions about President Obama's claim to be a natural born citizen. I made the decision to disobey all military orders, including my deployment order to Afghanistan, in pursuit of the truth of whether President Obama can legally occupy the high post that he holds today and which entitles him to send servicemembers into harm's way. 

The United States serves an example to the rest of the world of a stable, civilized, democratic government, where all men are equal under the law and the rule of law is cherished and obeyed. The U.S. military teaches and promotes the rule of law and civilian control of the military to many other nations and military forces around the world. Every soldier learns what constitutes a lawful order and is encouraged to stand up and object to unlawful orders. This is called the "duty to disobey."

My deployment orders for a second tour in Afghanistan included a requirement to bring copies of my birth certificate. I would be glad to obey this order and provide a certified copy of my original birth certificate with common, standard identifiers, including the name of an attending physician and a hospital. Every day in transactions across the country, American citizens are required to prove their identity; standards for identification have become stricter since the terrorist attacks of 9/11.

Since fall 2008, I have been troubled by reports that the president's original birth certificate remains concealed from public view along with other records which, if released, would quickly end questions surrounding his place of birth and "natural born" status. Many people mistook the online Certification of Live Birth for an original birth certificate. Until the summer of 2009, the Hawaiian Department of Homelands would not accept this Certification of Live Birth to determine native Hawaiian identity -- the Department insisted upon also reviewing an original birth certificate. 

Many do not understand that the online document was from 2007, generated by computer, laser-printed, and merely a certification that there is something on file which may or may not be sufficient proof of a birth in Hawaii. An original birth certificate could be the underlying document that presumably includes a hospital and attending physician's or midwife's name. Such a document should lay to rest the "natural born" dispute. This controversy was further escalated by media reports that gave two different hospital names for Obama's birthplace -- even today, the public does not know what doctor delivered the then-future president or which hospital was the site of his birth. No eyewitnesses have stepped forward to affirm that he was born in Hawaii in 1961. Under immigration laws in force at the time, if born in Kenya to a father who was not a U.S. citizen, Barack Obama had no right to American citizenship of any kind, and he could never qualify as "natural born." This is why determining his actual birthplace is crucial.

In 2008, after pressure from news media, President Obama's rival, candidate McCain, produced an original birth certificate from the Panama Canal Zone; a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing examined and affirmed his "natural born" status and constitutional eligibility to serve as president. The U.S. Senate was strangely silent about President Obama's eligibility despite statements from Kenyan citizens that he was born there, evidently including his paternal grandmother and the Ambassador from Kenya to the U.S. during a November 2008 radio interview. Hawaiian state officials claim that they cannot release an original birth certificate without Obama's consent, declaring that the public has no "tangible interest" in seeing this vital birth record.

I attempted without success through my chain of command for over a year to get answers to the questions surrounding the president's eligibility. I was told that I have no standing to make this inquiry, and moreover, that no one in DoD could answer this question. I made inquiries, unsuccessfully, through my congressional delegation, which simply referred my questions back to DoD. No one I spoke to was able to offer any evidence that the president is "natural born." The burden of proof, it seems, must rest with the White House-- with president Obama himself, as these records are his, and he has chosen to conceal them at considerable legal expense. Remarkably, there is no enforcement mechanism for the Constitution's Article II, Section 1 requirement that the president be a "natural born" citizen -- voters have largely relied on an honor system and a free press to vet candidates for the highest political office in the nation.

While President Obama's records remain hidden, public consternation is growing. The American people have the right to know that their president is constitutionally eligible to serve as Commander-in-Chief and thereby may lawfully direct servicemembers into harm's way. I will be proud to deploy to Afghanistan to further serve my country and my fellow soldiers, but I should do so only with the knowledge that this important requirement of our Constitution is respected and obeyed. Those in uniform who continue to risk their lives and give the ultimate sacrifice to the service of our country deserve to know that they do so upholding their vows to the oath of office and to the Constitution.

Until an original birth certificate is brought forward that will validate the Commander-in-Chief's constitutional eligibility and put to rest the reasonable questions surrounding it, I cannot in good conscience obey any of my military orders. Unless it is established (sufficient proof that should be easily within the president's power to provide) that he is constitutionally eligible to serve as president and Commander-in-Chief, I and all other military officers are at risk of following illegal orders.  

There is no legitimate privacy right to information necessary to prove that President Obama is legally eligible to serve as Commander-in-Chief. 

I remain at risk of arrest and court-martial, but am mindful always that my oath of office is to the Constitution. It fills me with great sadness that on 31 March, I declined a direct order from my Medical Brigade Commander. This is a man I honor and wished to meet in order to thank him for his unquestionable valor and courage, and yet I could not obey his order. Now, he could order my arrest at any time.   

I hope that President Obama will demonstrate his respect for the U.S. Constitution and release his original birth certificate. My bags are packed, and I look forward to joining my fellow soldiers in Afghanistan, but I will deploy only with the knowledge that I am following legal orders under a lawful Commander-in-Chief. 

For those readers wanting to follow my ongoing story, the American Patriot Foundation has set up a legal defense fund to help me, and they tell me that they will be posting up-to-date information about my case. Their website is .

Dr. Terrence Lakin is an active duty Lieutenant Colonel who serves as Chief of Primary Care at the Pentagon's TRICARE health clinic; he has been selected for promotion to Colonel.

[El Gato]

Not for much longer I'm thinking.

Perhaps, but the trial should be interesting. Should it not? Or even more interesting would be withdrawal of the orders, and no new orders issued directing him to do anything, since he would disobey those as well. But if the orders are withdrawn, there is still the "contempt of officials" charge, which would need to not be made as threatened.

Those actions alone would tell us that something stinks.

[Canadian Outrage]

good answer. Court martial him and then for discovery, Obama HAS to produce the real thing!! Won’t happen tho. We are at a million and counting. Of course this phony, self aggrandizing, self loving creep doesn’t care - he’s swimming in tax payer money and thinks he can do anything. Just wait until God Himself brings him down. It will be a mighty fall you can be sure. CO

[Canadian Outrage]

Your post #141 - shows just how low you really are. Again, your pathetic. CO

[El Gato]

And CBS had a whole story on how George Bush didn't show up for his Air Guard duties. The obvious conclusion is that George Bush was a deserter.

The difference being that the CBS story was denigrating Bush, while the Narobi story was celebrating Obama's status as US Senator who was a native of Kenya. .

It could still be wrong of course, but there was no motive to falisify the information.

[Canadian Outrage]

You are a pest on any thread to do with this subject which tells me that you are a hired hack. You don’t have a single argument that makes a lick of sense. You really should be ignored. I will from now on, hope the others do also. Talk to yourself hack. CO

[El Gato]

Really? Tell that to people like Michael New and Ehren Watada.

We were advised that there was no guarantee the Court Martial will agree with you, and we were counseled to be FReaking sure that the order was illegal before disobeying it. But if one believed the order was illegal, then one not only could disobey it, one was bound to do so.

[El Gato]

I did not swear to support and defend and interpret the Constitution, that last part is the responsibility of others

How can you defend or uphold it without "interpreting it?" Letting others tell you what it means is just another form of "I was just obeying orders".

[Protect the Bill of Rights]

(I really need a ping list for questions such as this-maybe one day.)

I ran across this picture today. I have not seen it before. Does anyone know who the man on the far left is?

[MilspecRob]

I should say most rational people accept it as synonymous. That would exclude a lot of the people around here.

I concur.

[stephenjohnbanker]

“Does anyone know who the man on the far left is? “

The President of Zamunda?

[Fred Nerks]

That man on the left has been identified as Malik Abongo Obama, the eldest son of Kezia, to the best of my knowledge.

[rodguy911]

Good post,after searching this stuff out for some time now I see zero as totally Manchurian and basically a working guy who has been bought and paid for to create as much chaos and destruction of the country as possible in the 4 years he will be in office.

He could have been primed from many years and quite possibly before 1992.

Its indeed possible that Soros, the Russians and some Mideastern interests are all involved.

[rxsid]

Yes, indeed. And great follow-up analogy!

[El Gato]

Then would it be safe to assume that you support Ehren Watada and Michael New?

They made their determination. They turned out to be wrong, as determined by a Court. (Although Watada probably went in intending such challenge, while New did not get in the situtation which prompted his challenge until he has been in for some time).

This L/C accpets that a Court will decide if he is correct or wrong in his determination.

[Canadian Outrage]

Your an A$$hole to talk to conservativegramma like that. Shows you for what you are. You have no legitimacy here. CO

[Canadian Outrage]

You could NEVER LYAO as you would disappear. CO

[babygene]

I guess you can not read. The person I was responding to suggested “birthers” had it wrong... I am a birther.

[El Gato]

In only one case was the question of natural born citizenship raised, the Ark decision. There the justices determined that Ark was a citizen by birth, which most people accept is synonymous with natural-born citizen.

"Most people" believe a lot of things that are wrong. And the Court did not call Ark a natural born citizen. That was not at issue, only if he was a citizen. The only sort of case where "natural born" could be at issue is a Presidential eligibility case. (Or a VP one of course). There has never been such a case heard by the Supreme Court.

But I see you continue to assume your conclusion that "citizen at birth" means "natural born". Even the Surpeme disagrees with that. In some cases "citizen at birht" may be a naturalized citizen. In fact all persons born outside the US, but "citizens" at birth under statute law are "naturalized", for the power of defining a rule of naturalization is the only power Congress has over citizenship.

[MHGinTN]

Oh my! Didn’t you notice that the asshat NS has placed himself in the position of being the rational voiuce, that anyone not in agreement with his obamnoid sycophancy is not rational? Now you’ve done it! You’ll be branded irrational byt the little demigod, NS, and his bottom feeding followers will chide you too.

[Forty-Niner]

The result of the Nuremburg trials post WWII requires Military Officers to question the illegal orders of their superiors. ( This is codifoed in the UCMJ) Obama has been illegaly installed as the CIC, and LtCol is correct in questioning Obama’s right to Command.....