The term “natural born citizen” does not appear in the Declaration of Independence.
I said nothing even remotely similar to “every time Congress modifies a naturalization act they change the meaning of natural born citizen.”
What I said was that the first naturalization act exempted children born overseas or out of the US from needing naturalization by declaring them to be natural born citizens as long as their fathers had been at some time resident in the U.S.
It is my opinion that many will see that as an indication of original intent.
There is nothing “infinitely malleable” about 8USC 1401. It spells out precisely who is a Citizen of the United States At Birth.
What I said was that the first naturalization act exempted children born overseas or out of the US from needing naturalization by declaring them to be natural born citizens as long as their fathers had been at some time resident in the U.S.The first naturalization act, not unsurprisingly, was 100 percent about naturalization and had nothing to do whatsoever with altering or widening the understanding of the Constitutional phrase natural born Citizen. All it stated was that for the purposes of naturalization, the children of American citizens born overseas would "be considered as" (but not actually be) natural born Citizens -- that is they would not need to go through the naturalization process when they returned with their parents to the USA.
I suspect the reference to natural born Citizen was deleted altogether five years later because the founders knew that congress's powers over naturalization did not extend to redefining the meaning of the Constitution (not that that was ever their intent) and upon the consideration of time, felt that such language might be misleading and therefore had no place in a law about naturalization.
One does not need to state axiomatic consequences of larger principles. You do not need to inform people that a gun has "bullets." It's self evident. In the same manner, you do not need to elucidate that a "Declaration of Independence" creates a New Nation, and therefore New Citizens.
I said nothing even remotely similar to “every time Congress modifies a naturalization act they change the meaning of natural born citizen.”
Between what you have said in the past, and what is stated above, a hair cannot be split. You have cited a long litany of naturalization acts, and you have consistently held that these acts create "natural born citizens." You have specifically cited the act which removed the residency requirement for foreign born citizens.
So now if you are saying that this does not constitute congress changing the meaning of natural born citizen, all I can say is that you are emitting that cognitive dissonance again. You are literally saying they can and they can't at the same time.
There is nothing “infinitely malleable” about 8USC 1401. It spells out precisely who is a Citizen of the United States At Birth.
Until the next time they change it. Then it will mean something different.