Apple of Doubt

I’m sorry to break the news to those who are politically or personally opposed to Barack Obama, especially 6 months late, but he is the President. He fits all the criteria set forth in the constitution and is exercising his duties under that same constitutional authority. Why do I have to remind these folks of these facts accepted throughout the country and the world? Because even now, 6 months into his presidency, the movement seems to be growing (or at least getting renewed attention) that Barack Obama is not a natural born citizen and therefore should not be president.

It seems that the catalyst for the discussion being brought to the forefront in the national media is the footage of an angry woman questioning Congressman Castle of Delaware, at a town hall meeting, about why Congress had accepted Obama’s birth certificate, since he is actually a citizen of Kenya. This unleashes a fury of angry support and boos for the Congressman when he attempts to factually state the President is an American citizen. See the CNN story.

It is not only in Delaware that the lunacy exists. Alan Keyes (who apparently has still not gotten over being soundly beaten by Obama in Illinois) has filed yet another lawsuit to challenge the birth certificate. World Net Daily is selling signs and postcards to promote this idea and asking for donations to a national billboard campaign. A group of Republican congressman are beginning the push for legislation requiring Presidents to provide a birth certificate. Members of Congress from Alabama, Florida and Texas have all made comments questioning either the presence or veracity of a birth certificate. Plus, of course, conservative talk radio and the conservative blogosphere are filled to overflowing with the viscous, slimy ooze of this story.

So what are the specific complaints of those claiming Obama is not an American? Two things primarily. One is their repeated claim that the Constitution requires that both parents of a President had to be American born. Article 2, section 1.5 lays out the requirement clearly, “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 to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty-five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States.”

The constitution contains nothing about the parents of a President, whether they be born in England or Kenya. The founders apparently didn’t care as much about America as the modern nutjob conservatives. The other repeated rant is that Obama has never shown his original birth certificate and should do so publicly to lay the turmoil to rest. The campaign did produce an official Hawaii-issued birth certificate before the election. It has been closely examined and one can see the raised seal from the notary. However, since this is not the original birth certificate, the conspiracists claim it must be a fake.

Having been in a position that required me to produce an official copy of a birth certificate which was actually certified by the state and later notarized by the US Secretary of State’s office, I can tell you first hand that a birth certificate on a new piece of paper is just as valid as one on an old piece of paper. In any event, those who believe in this nonsense will continue to do so even if every possible form of paper evidence were released. Once true believers accept something as fact, no amount of evidence can change their minds. I guess two thousand years of Christianity has taught us something after all.

Plus, what other President has ever been asked to prove their legitimacy by publicly showing the original copy of their birth certificate? None that I know of. Whether this is being driven by dislike for the color of his skin, the sound of his last name, the direction of his politics, or the fact that he doesn’t say he loves Jesus at every public appearance, it is stupid, unnecessary and reveals the backward and ignorant quality of too many of America’s natural born morons.

I am tempted to say “get over it,” but I know these people do not have that capacity. For getting over it would require the ability to examine evidence and reach rational conclusions based on that evidence. However, hysteria is all they’ve got.