Obama's Citizenship: What difference does it make?

As I thought about writing this blog, I decided to do a little research online to see what would turn up. After all, if Obama's citizenship is well defended, then my concerns appear foolish. But if there is any legitimacy to asking the question of whether or not he is a citizen, then I feel compelled to ask it. Let me first say that I am not writing about whether or not Obama should get your vote, nor am I writing about any of his policies or any other qualification to the Presidency than whether or not he is a natural-born citizen. As I looked at the different web sites and what they had to say, I saw half "proving" his citizenship and half of them "proving" his lack thereof. So, I decided that I could not really answer that question satisfactorily based upon what I found. And if that question isn't answered well enough, then it needs further asking.

A distant acquaintance sent me a link to a website containing an interview between Michael Savage and Philip Berg, the man who filed a lawsuit demanding proof of Obama's citizenship.(You can listen here.) I listened to the interview, and forwarded the link to a few people, then went on with my day. But as the day went on, I thought some more about it and came upon a troubling conclusion; if this question is not answered, the integrity of our Constitution is in danger. Let me explain.

Article II Section I of our Constitution states that, "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." Now here we have a situation where a Presidential candidate may possibly not be eligible, but he has been chosen the Democratic Presidential Nominee and is on the state ballots. Philip Berg has filed a lawsuit asking that Barack Obama submit proof of citizenship, but to date Senator Obama has not done so but has instead tried to have the case dismissed. Let me present to you four possible scenarios concerning Obama's citizenship and their implications for the Constitution and the citizens of the United States.

Scenario 1: Barack Obama presents these documents to the court and his citizenship is legally confirmed. If he is elected, we then have a President that meets the Constitution's requirements, our Constitution is upheld and we have a legitimate President who will presumably "to the best of [his] Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

Scenario 2: Barack Obama cannot present these documents to the court or presents "phony" documents to the court and is declared ineligible to be President of the United States. Barack Obama is then removed from eligibility to be President and we elect an eligible man as President. Our Constitution is upheld and preserved.

Scenario 3: Barack Obama is elected President and sworn in. The documents do not exist or are declared fakes. We now have a President who is not a natural-born citizen, yet who remains in office to serve his term as President, either because those in power are unwilling to impeach him or because the impeachment process is too slow. What does this mean for our Constitution? If the Constitution requires a natural-born citizen to be President and we elect an ineligible man, then we effectively strip the Constitution of its power. Unless the President meets the basic requirements to become President, then he cannot "preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States" because his very presence in the office of President of the United States nullifies the Constitution. Electing an ineligible man as President of the U.S. says that those in power and the citizens in general can just ignore the Constitution.

In this scenario, all of our rights and freedoms are in danger. It is the Constitution that protects us from tyrrany and the whims of those in power. If we strip the Constitution of its power, we lose our legal protection and basic rights as Americans. We must carefully guard the Constitution. Without it, the corruption we see in our Local, City, State, and National politicians would have no limits. We would be at the mercy of the whims of the rich and powerful. Unless our Constitution is powerful, United States Citizens are weak.

Scenario 4: The court case goes no where, Obama never releases the documents, and is never declared either legally eligible or ineligible. If he is elected President under these conditions, then the U.S. Constitution and "We, the People" are both weakened. This scenario means that we don't even have the right to ASK whether or not our Presidential candidates are natural-born citizens. In this case, the Constitution is reduced to mere words because as citizens, we have NO power to enforce it. Is this the direction in which America is headed? Must we roll over and play dead because the Will of the politicians will be done regardless of the demands of the Constitution?

In Scenario 3, we have no binding Constitution, and in Scenario 4, we appear to have a Constitution, but it is unenforceable. I am asking you, please do not let these scenarios play out. We have a voice... the voice of the American people. Let your voice be heard. I am an Independent and I am asking as an American Citizen; one living under this Constitution. If Obama is a natural-born citizen, then ask him to simply present the evidence and be declared eligible, as McCain has done. Then, as one seeking to uphold the Constitution, he can demonstrate his respect for it. But if he is not a natural-born citizen, then let the truth come before the election... before further damage is done.

In the meantime, pass this information to your friends, educate yourself on the lawsuit by clicking here, and call your Congressmen. You can find them easily at congress.org

On Politics and Christianity

Sometimes I think that we do the cause of Christ more harm than good when we take a strong, public political stand. After all, the gospel is that God exists, loves us, and died for us to have a relationship with us. That message gets lost in the debates about abortion, homosexual marriage, fiscal conservatism, the war on terror, and the many other issues that arise on the public platform. I long to be part of a force for good in our world, but I keep coming back to the thought that any movement for Christ will be "grassroots." Better yet, true change will come from the gospel lived out in the lives of individuals for individuals. The love of Christ shining through us onto others... that is what changes the world.

However, I have hesitated to say it because I haven't felt able to say it well enough, especially when the temptation occasionally comes to me to deny that thought. Thankfully, God has provided someone who says it better:

What woman is this?

Okay, so I just took some pictures of myself. And all I have to say is, "Who is this woman!?!"

Steve made the mistake of telling me that I looked older today. In his defense, it was regarding a picture taken five years ago, but OLDER! So I had to see for myself. And after taking some pictures of The Baaaaby



...I decided to take a picture of myself. So I took one... and another... and another... and so on. Why did I take so many? Was I making up for all the events where I was behind the camera instead of in front of it? Was I playing in front of the camera like I did when I was a child? Was I dreaming of being a supermodel before the adoration of the camera?

No.

No.

I just couldn't quite wrap my brain around the fact that the woman on the screen was... ME!

I... do... look... ... ... "OLDER!"

Just see for yourself. LOOK AT ALL THOSE WRINKLES!



(You didn't think I'd actually let you see my bad pictures, did you?)

Peanut Butter Men are Loooooooove!