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True Definition of Natural Born Citizen
Townhall ^ | March 1, 2009 | Glenn Flowers

Posted on 03/01/2009 4:35:14 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet

There has been much debate over what constitutes a natural born citizen. Much of the debate has been misinformed calling the concept of natural born an obscure technicality or an overight by the writers of the Constitution. Neither of these characterizations are true.

Many times the true meaning of consitutional wording must be determined by looking at the era and the circumstances, and, in some cases, terminology in other sections of the constitution, the inclusion or exclusion of supporting verbage, and even writings other than the Constitution.

Article 2, section 1 of the Constitution states, "No person except a natural born citizen, or a citizen of the United States at the time of the adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the office of president; neither shall any person be eligible who shall not attained to the age of thirty-five years, and been fourteen years a resident within the United Satates."

The addition of a grandfather clause in this paragraph says a lot as to the meaning of natural born. The first thing it says is that being born in the US is not enough to be natural born, otherwise the grandfather clause would not be necessary. The writers and delegates, having been born in the US, wanted to be eligible for the presidency, but most were the children of British subjects. Knowing that that eliminated them from being natural born and, thus, from eligibility, they included the grandfather clause which expired when the last person alive at the time of the ratification of the Constitution died. So, being a native born citizen is not the same as being natural born. If it were the framers would not have included the clause.

When asked to define natural born citizen, John Bingham, the author of the 14th ammendment which extended the bill of rights to former slaves, stated, "Any human born to parents who are US citizens and are under no other jurisdiction or authority." The Naturalization Act of 1790, also passed by this congress, declared "And the children of citizens of the US shall be considered as natural born, provided that the right of citizenship shall not descend to persons whose fathers have never been a resident of the US." Neither of these definitions, one from US law, mentions birthplace, only the parents' citizenship.

This concept of citizenship by blood as opposed to citizenship by geography is a concept with a long history in British common law. A law passed in 1677 says that natural born citizens are those persons born to British citizens, including those born overseas. Alexander Porter wrote an article over 100 years ago in which he declares that the framers drew upon this difference in the law of heredity and territorial allegiance to define a third class of citizen applicable only to the eligibility to hold the office of president. According to Morse, "the framers thought it wise to provide that the president should at least be the child of citizens owing allegiance only to the US at the time of birth." He goes on to say that the the eligibility of the president "was scarcely intended to bar the children of American citizens, whether born at sea or in foreign territory."

The concept of citizenship by blood also precludes the equation of natural born with native born as the latter strictly demands geographical requirements.

Many argue that Barack Obama was eligible to be a state senator and a US senator and could not suddenly be ineligible to be president, but that is exactly the case. If this premise were true, Arnold Schwarzenegger, governor of California, would also be eligible to be president, and it is established that he is not.

Barack Obama has proudly and publicly stated that his father was a citizen of Kenya. We know his mother was eigteen years old when he was born. These two facts make Obama ineligible to be president. No birth certificate is needed as proof, and it doesn't matter at all where Obama was born. His father's non-citizenship is all the law requires. He is ineligible from the beginning, meaning he is NOT the president and can be removed from office without any impeachment or trial, it requires only a ruling by the SCOTUS. HE is, in fact, a usurper, a pretender or a fake.

So why has Obama been shepharded into our highest elected office regardless of the fact that he is, according to his own statements and the law of the land, ineligible for that office? It is because those whose responsibility it is to insure the eligibility of the president, the SCOTUS, has chosen, in violation of the law, not to override the voters that voted for Obama. They are are cowards who violate their sworn oath rather than make an unpopular ruling. We are no longer a republic ruled by law, but, instead have become a democracy with rules made up as we go along, never to be written as law.

POSTSCRIPT: In each and every case dismissed by the SCOTUS challenging Obama's eligibility the reason for dismissal had nothing to do with the merits of the plaintiff's claim. Not once did the SCOTUS rule Obama was eligible or even consider whether he was or not, rather they dismissed each case on the technicality of plaitiff's lack of standing to file the case.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Editorial; Government; Politics/Elections; US: Hawaii; US: Illinois
KEYWORDS: barackobama; bho2009; bho44; birthcertificate; certifigate; democrats; elections; naturalborn; obama; scotus
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To: Texas Eagle

21 posted on 03/01/2009 5:02:00 PM PST by tomkat
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

It seems if Obama was really a US citizen, it would have been a very simple gesture to show his birth certificate, but he has chosen to spend thousands of dollars on lawyers to keep from having to produce one. Hmmmmm...I wonder.


22 posted on 03/01/2009 5:02:56 PM PST by antidemoncrat
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To: pankot

I guess after the 2000 elections, they didnt want the hassle.


23 posted on 03/01/2009 5:03:04 PM PST by max americana
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To: AuH2ORepublican

Sorry you cannot comprehned the simple written word. Reread the essay. This is not about geography it is about citizen parents. Besides, you make an assertion (why the grandfather clause was included) you do not substantiate with anything except your opinion that an anchor baby can be elected president, legitimately. No, they cannot, because the third level of citizenship is specifically about the office of president and a natural born citizen is all that is legitimate, not anchor babies, not naturalized, not non-citizens, only natural born citizens, those with TWO AMERICAN CITIOZEN PARENTS at the time of the birth of that individual.


24 posted on 03/01/2009 5:04:05 PM PST by MHGinTN (Believing they cannot be deceived, they cannot be convinced when they are deceived.)
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To: tomkat

“...and the usurper is making noise about starting an updated version of the SA.”

What is the SA?


25 posted on 03/01/2009 5:05:17 PM PST by penelopesire ("The only CHANGE you will get with the Democrats is the CHANGE left in your pocket")
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Complete and utter crap.

The first thing it says is that being born in the US is not enough to be natural born, otherwise the grandfather clause would not be necessary. The writers and delegates, having been born in the US, wanted to be eligible for the presidency, but most were the children of British subjects.

The Founders were not born in the U.S., because THE FREAKING U.S. DID NOT EXIST WHEN THEY WERE BORN.

Secondly, if "being under another jurisdiction" through no action or choice of one's own disqualifies someone from being President, then that empowers Castro, Kim Jong Il, Imanutjob and whoever else in the world to control our presidency by unilaterally granting citizenship to their non-preferred candidate.

There are about a trillion good reasons to oppose Barack Obama, but this persistent lie is not one of them.

26 posted on 03/01/2009 5:05:42 PM PST by Sloth (The tree of liberty desperately needs watering.)
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To: sten
"of course, the next step would be blacks rioting, the dollar tanking further, markets collapsing, and then the Constitutional crisis will begin... as they start to roll-back all legislation he has signed, executions orders he issue, and appointments he has made. anyone convicted under laws he signed would be re-tried (i think), and judges he appointed would have their cases re-tried (or thrown out). military personnel performing any ‘aggressive’ actions overseas would find themselves up for war crimes charges. "

More than once I've see freepers shaking in their boots at the concept of the "black roiting". Maybe it's not meant in such direct terms, but it always seems to be an issue that might cower the rest of us from standing up for the Constitution and the rule of law.

I'm not saying that such an action would not be a formidible force to reckon with, but I'm saying that we fought much stronger and more numerous forces just to be able to draft and ordain the Constitution, without a constitution to depend on in the process.

If this man has lied his way into the Presidency, he has committed fraud - and I as an American don't give a damn what color he is, or how many riots come from it.

The rule of law is the rule of law...there should not be a set of "black laws" and a set of "white laws"...just laws.

EEO and political correctness has made us the slaves in the past 50 years, and I for one am about sick of it. We opted in, and have supported "equal rights", but the pendeleum has flip-flopped too far the other way.

As for the dollar tanking and markets collapsing...well, they're doing that anyway. With CommieBama at the helm, we're not only going to see the markets collapse...WE'RE GOING TO SEE AMERICA COLLAPSE.

We either fight, or we become serfs. It's the individual choice of each American. The "government" is not here to help, they are the problem and the time of "tyranny in government" - predicted in the Constitution by the establishment of the "of, for, and by" the people constitution - has come. This is where the 2nd Amendment kicks in.

And worrying about the coming "Constitutional crises"/????????? If CommiBama is not a legal President, then we are already in a Constitutional crises of the largest magnitude seen since the documents inception.

When are we going to stop sitting around wringing our hands in agony? The forefathers and the Minutemen are not coming back again...we are them now.

Insofar as the markets, it would seem to me that any and all bills (bailouts) signed by commieBama up to this point, would be moot if he is found to be an ineligible President. And, he is not even a Senator anymore...he'd be back to being a Community cellblock organizer.
27 posted on 03/01/2009 5:07:58 PM PST by FrankR (We are only enslaved to the extent of charity (bailout) we receive...think about it.)
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To: ansel12
Read the words of Rep. Bingham stating the necessity of two parents who are American citizens at the birth of the child and you get a better picture of why the grandfather clause was aimed at citizenship of the parents, not this specious geography bilge. ...

[[ Rep. John Bingham of Ohio, considered the father of the Fourteenth Amendment, confirms the understanding and construction the framers used in regards to birthright and jurisdiction while speaking on civil rights of citizens in the House on March 9, 1866:
" ... 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 [plural, meaning two] not owing allegiance to any foreign sovereignty is, in the language of your Constitution itself, a natural born citizen..." (http://americamustknow.com/default.aspx) ]]

28 posted on 03/01/2009 5:08:31 PM PST by MHGinTN (Believing they cannot be deceived, they cannot be convinced when they are deceived.)
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To: penelopesire

Second Amendment.


29 posted on 03/01/2009 5:09:27 PM PST by oprahstheantichrist (The MSM is a demonic stronghold, PLEASE pray accordingly. 2 Cor. 10:3-5)
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To: oprahstheantichrist

OK...duhh.. I am a little slow tonight. Thanks.


30 posted on 03/01/2009 5:10:49 PM PST by penelopesire ("The only CHANGE you will get with the Democrats is the CHANGE left in your pocket")
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To: penelopesire
Hitler's Brownshirts
31 posted on 03/01/2009 5:10:55 PM PST by tomkat
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To: tomkat

OK..thanks. Obama apparently brought it up again the other day talking to the troops I heard. This man is bringing change alright and it is horrifying to anyone with a brain.


32 posted on 03/01/2009 5:14:00 PM PST by penelopesire ("The only CHANGE you will get with the Democrats is the CHANGE left in your pocket")
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To: FrankR

Brilliant post, thanks.


33 posted on 03/01/2009 5:16:36 PM PST by oprahstheantichrist (The MSM is a demonic stronghold, PLEASE pray accordingly. 2 Cor. 10:3-5)
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To: penelopesire

What is the SA?

Short answer “Hitler’s Brownshirts”


Answer from Wiki:

The De-Sturmabteilung.ogg Sturmabteilung (help·info), abbreviated SA, (German for “Assault detachment” or “Assault section”, usually translated as “stormtroop(er)s”), functioned as a paramilitary organization of the NSDAP – the German Nazi party. They played a key role in Adolf Hitler’s rise to power in the 1930s.

SA men were often called “brownshirts”, for the colour of their uniforms, and to distinguish them from the Schutzstaffel (SS), who wore black and brown uniforms (compare the Italian blackshirts).


34 posted on 03/01/2009 5:18:42 PM PST by Texas Fossil
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

“the SCOTUS, has chosen, in violation of the law, not to override the voters that voted for Obama. They are are cowards who violate their sworn oath rather than make an unpopular ruling.”

Cowards.

I never thought I would lose respect for a certain few of the Justices, but how else can I view them except as empty shells of what we thought they were?


35 posted on 03/01/2009 5:20:36 PM PST by reasonisfaith (Liberals have neither the creativity nor the confidence to understand the truth of conservatism)
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To: Texas Fossil

I should have known that..just wasn’t sure what he was referring to. Thanks. I just always call them ‘brownshirts’...LOL


36 posted on 03/01/2009 5:21:22 PM PST by penelopesire ("The only CHANGE you will get with the Democrats is the CHANGE left in your pocket")
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Since the founding fathers were not U.S. citizens and they were not born Of U.S. citizens, was anything ever written that would allow them to be president?


37 posted on 03/01/2009 5:21:22 PM PST by ansel12 (Romney (guns)"instruments of destruction with the sole purpose of hunting down and killing people")
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
This author is spot on! Vattel gives the same definition in Law of Nations, § 212 - 215.

This is the same treatise found in the Constitution's Article 1, Section 8, Clause 10.

38 posted on 03/01/2009 5:21:55 PM PST by MamaTexan (It's time to STAND UP, America!)
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To: Texas Eagle

>>Be careful what you wish for. If Present Potato Head is not Constitutionally eligible to be Present of the United States, that also means he is not Constitutionally restricted to serving only two terms.

Completely ilegally incorrect.


39 posted on 03/01/2009 5:22:58 PM PST by MindBender26 (The Hellfire Missile is one of the wonderful ways God shows us he loves American Soldiers & Marines)
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To: sten
"...blacks rioting, the dollar tanking further, markets collapsing,....:

...dogs and cats, living together...."

(Sorry, I had to do that.)

40 posted on 03/01/2009 5:24:58 PM PST by oprahstheantichrist (The MSM is a demonic stronghold, PLEASE pray accordingly. 2 Cor. 10:3-5)
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