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.

[Godebert]

This birther crap is past getting old.

I see you hold the Constitution with the same regard as do Nancy Pelosi and the Obamites.

[DeaconRed]

I have held out hope for a long time that the Low Life was born outside the US.
Kenya, Denya who cares as long as it was not in the USA.
I feel that all of us here on FR and most Americans want the idiot out. Peacefully of course. Being born outside the USA would be a good way to send him packing.
They can call us birthers, and any other name they want, all the idiot has to do is produce the COLB.
I really don't want to see Biden as CIC; however I think he would be a major improvement.

[maddog55]

[JDPendry]

It is just a matter of time before some of the old Democrat party hacks, who would rather hold on to their own power position and priviledge than have a puppet in the Whitehouse, find all of those missing documents and start leaking them. I still think one of his own will drop the hammer and he’ll be out of office before 2012...

[Beckwith]

court marshaled

You mean court martialed, don’t you genius?

[rambo316]

Please keep this link alive. This man is a hero and should be lauded. Also write all your papers about this subject. This puppet, Bho is destroying this country and legally has to be stopped.

[hoosiermama]

drums in the jungle.

were methods of communication. The language is based on pitch not syllables. Drums were used to communicate from one plantation to another organizing the slave rebellions. Drumming became illegal and "ham bone" drumming on ones own body became the method of communication.

[Nepeta]

Even if he was born in Hawaii, there is something in the original birth record that he wants very much to hide, and I don't think it's illegitimacy. I think his parentage is other than claimed, and that his exotic name would become a joke if the original records were revealed.

Beyond that, I don't think he ever bothered to drop his Indonesian citizenship he acquired later. I am convinced a citizen of Indonesia is sitting in the White House.

There is just too much about this man which is hidden, unclear, and unverifiable. If he truly had the best interests of the country at heart, he would have done everything to clear up any doubts about his past, but he's done exactly the opposite.

[Spaulding]

That seems quite possible Starwise, that Obama never expected to stay the full term. The Obama cadre, by hiding all legal identification, have provided themselves all sorts of room to maneuver. We don't know their hand. During the election we could have challenged Obama - all Senators were well aware of Obama’s disqualifying British father and birth as a subject of the British Commonwealth. Obama told them. McCain wouldn't have challenged unless he had lost. The next highest recipient of votes, McCain would then be challenged. McCain was unfortunately ineligible. Even if he had been born in the Canal Zone - his birth certificate listed Colon Hospital and named doctor - the Canal Zone was not under total jurisdiction. That left Hillary. Hillary would surely have been a two term president so the Republicans kept, and keep their mouths shut, even after every signed Senate Res 511 stating the requirement for two citizen parents.

Obama has done the damage. It is possible that both the house and senate change parties in 2010. What more can Obama do? Perhaps even Hillary asks the question; many of her supporters were on top of the legal issues. She would be somewhat cleansed by removing him herself so that she could run in 2012. Would all the newly patriated border crossers vote Democrat? Would the vote counts be auditable? Would Acorn and the SEIU work for Hillary too? If he leaves while Democrats control the house and senate well he be prosecuted?

We are in a country whose citizens are well aware of the shameless criminality of our government. Is there any Democrat who could come clean out of this? Perhaps one who would appear to clean up the corruption in their party. Goodness knows Hillary has the ambition.

[Old_Grouch]

I think Lakin wrote a very good statement. I just donated $20. I admire him. Thanks for posting this.

[The Duke]

This birther crap is past getting old.

Not at all! There may very well come a time when even the Deemocrats themselves need any excuse to throw Obama under the proverbial bus. And this will be as good an excuse as any.

[grame]

Courage.

to the colonel, thank you for you service!

[Man50D]

Waste of time.
Waste of effort.

The battle against Obama will be at the polls, not in the courts. This birther crap is past getting old.

On the contrary. The issue is growing as more Americans are realizing BO/BS does not fulfill the Natural Born Citizens hip requirement in Article 2 Section 1 of the Constitution. Upholding the Constitution is never a waste of time.

[Man50D]

Sorry but you can't have members of the military deciding they can interpret The Constitution of their own accord and that their interpretation should be legally binding.

You can't have someone usurping the Constitution and therefore illegally holding office of the President. Lakin is not interpreting the Constitution. He is upholding the Constitution by demanding BO/BS obey the Constitution.

[The Working Man]

“This Colonel needs to be court marshaled. “

---

Well, then you institute court marshal proceedings against him.

When I was in the service back in the 70’s the Viet Nam war was still going on. It was emphasized to us in boot camp the necessity of following lawful orders of our superiors in the chain of command. It was also emphasized that if we were given a illegal order that we not only had the right to question the order but the DUTY to question the order and seek guidance from higher in the chain of command.

That lesson if my memory serves me correctly was also re-emphasized every time I received course work in the training for my next step up the chain, E-3, E-4, etc.

I agree with his position and I thank God I am no longer in the position to have to question those orders and risk career and imprisonment as he will.

Personally, I expect that new orders will be issued that will avoid the neccessity of a Court Martial and the LtC will be mustered out quietly. Of course if that does happen...... Well, then all sorts of new questions will be asked, now won’t they?

[Man50D]

NOBODY GIVES A CRAP.

WRONG!!!! MILLIONS OF AMERICANS CARE!!! SPEAK FOR YOURSELF!!

[Theodore R.]

The American people never were comfortable with heroes; they make the people feel inferior, and that’s not good. Lou Dobbs got removed from CNN for calling for the birth certificate. How could this officer expect to prevail in the climate created by the American people.

[Theodore R.]

I agree, millions care, but tens of millions do not.

[Bellflower]

I get the distinct feeling Obama never meant to hold onto the presidency for long. And that sends chills up my spine.

The antiChrist is said in the book of Revelation to suffer a deadly wound and be healed. Sometimes I wonder if O isn't going to stage his own death and be healed. If it is an allegory it could mean that he receives a deadly political wound and therefore is considered dead as far as politics is concerned. If he is bounced from being President in this country it would definitely be a deadly political wound.

Maybe he will be ousted out of the Presidency and go to live in Europe and/or the mid east and become the antiChrist. It would not be hard to picture them embracing him as a Christ like figure as far as they are concerned..If he does that it could be viewed as coming back from a deadly wound as far as his political life is concerned. These are just thoughts but it is hard to picture an antiChrist who seems more like the antiChrist than Obama. Time will tell, though.

Rev 13:12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.

Rev 13:13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,

Rev 13:14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by [the means of] those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.

[Man50D]

I agree, millions care, but tens of millions do not.

The number is growing as time passes.