The facts: In June of 2008, an image of a Hawaiian Certification of Live Birth for Barack Hussein Obama II appeared on a web site called the Daily Kos. Similar images would appear at Barack Obama’s Fight the Smears web site, along with FactCheck.org and Politifact.com. A small optical flaw in the scanned image shows that all came from the same physical scan of the paper document, and that the various images had been resized.
The theory: Various theories have been put forward claiming that the image has been manipulated in some way. One theory is that the Certification belongs to Obama, but has been changed, possibly changing his middle name from Mohamed to Hussein or changing his place of birth from some foreign place to Hawaii. The other is that the certificate originally belonged some someone else and “Obama” (not born in Hawaii) was put on it. Another theory is that the document was made up from scratch and overlaid onto security paper.
Contextual objections to the document: There are a couple of things usually mentioned: That the father’s race is “African” the other that the Certificate Number is blacked out. It is said that in the 1960’s “African” would not have been an option on a Birth Certificate application. The blacked-out certificate number would hide an invalid or re-used number from someone else. A further objection is that there is no raised state seal visible, nor is there a state registrar’s signature or stamp.
Analysis of contextual objections: The “African” issue comes from a misconception of how “Race” is collected on birth registration forms. Birth data is collected on a “worksheet” from information provided by the father and the mother. This is then transcribed (typed) onto a paper document. The National Center for Health Statistics standards say the the preferable source of information for Father’s Race is the father. The definition of the item is: “The race(s) that best describes what the father considers himself to be.” For this reason, what ever term was current in the United States in 1961 would not be relevant to how Obama’s Kenyan father would answered the question. The answer was not restricted to being selected from a prescribed list. Indeed the appearance of the unconventional value of “African” is a sign of authenticity, since only an African such as Barack Obama, Sr. would be likely to think of it. If you doubt that Africans used the term in 1961, I offer the following example (from among scores available through your favorite search engine):
” I believe strongly and sincerely that with the deep-rooted wisdom and dignity, the innate respect for human lives, the intense humanity that is our heritage, the African race, united under one federal government, will emerge not as just another world bloc to flaunt its wealth and strength, but as a Great Power whose greatness is indestructible because it is built not on fear, envy and suspicion, nor won at the expense of others, but founded on hope, trust, friendship and directed to the good of all mankind.”
I Speak of Freedom (1961), Kwame Nkrumah (Ghana)
The Certificate Number, the seal and signature are available from subsequent photos on the FactCheck.org web site, making these objections moot. The seal, which was applied to the back of the document making it difficult to see from the front with lighting that creates no shadows. Nevertheless, the careful viewer can see the seal in all of the images, as well as a hint of the fold claimed to be absent.
A further objection was raised by Ron Polarik once the certificate number was made public, that the certificate number was out of line with the date of Obama’s birth. It turns out that the number is what it should be and this is discussed in
Obama Birth Certificate Number proves it’s a fake – busted
Technical objections to the Image are discussed starting in Barack Obama’s Birth Certificate is a Forgery – Part 2.
Who knows what to actually believe in, unless you see the actual certificate yourself. I’m sure Barack Obamas past & present has been carefully scrutinized by top security experts before being allowed to run for the U.S. Presidency!!!
And since his Certification of Live Birth shows that he was born in Honolulu, the case seems quite convincing.
Keep spreading your lies.
That’s not a lie, it’s a fact. Obama’s COLB shows that he was born in Honolulu. Did you not know?
I told you that you were not interested in the truth if it conflicts with your faith.
Every professional and scholar has proven this document was a fraud. The numbers do not even correspond to 1961 numbering. Why post this fake document to begin with?
AJX “Every professional and scholar has proven this document was a fraud.”
If the IP address wasn’t different, I would think this is JTX with a new name (and that still might be the case). However, folks who keep up with this issue know that there is NO professional or scholar who suggests document fraud. The fact that AJX lists no professionals and no scholars suggests that there AJX knows of none, and that means AJX either makes stuff up, believes people who make stuff up, or lies intentionally. In ANY CASE, AJX has not earned the privilege of a reply, and I for one will not dignify AJX comments with further replies.
DO NOT FEED THE TROLLS!
Why do you think the numbering is wrong? Even Ron Polland (Polarik) retracted his claim that the number was off and that was before we found out the number of another certificate (the Nordyke twins) issued just one day afterwards, and the numbers are within 5. So I do not understand your point about problems with the numbering. The numbers are dead on — something that would have been difficult to fake.
You might do well to refresh what you think you know with some current information from reputable sources.
Give me a break…we are talking about the supposed President of the USA and have to speculate whether the number of his supposed cerificate of live birth in some third world country corresponds? Where are you from China? This is the USA, the most technologically advance country in the world back in 1961 and we sent men up to the moon in 1969 didn’t we? Go fool someone else…and what about tapering with his passport and the just released documents from Occidental College?
Strange this AXJ in earlier posts referred to the US as your country.He’s is in Spain and to most of the birthers he is in a 3rd world country.
Seems to me he’s some lonely spainard from the look of his forum looking to pad his hit counter.
Axj- good luck with that!
Calling Hawaii a “third world country” sounds a little bigoted to me.
Simple question. Why would anyone post this bogus Certificate of Live Birth on the internet?
Obama discovered his birth certificate in the summer of 2007 when he was destroying, sealing and suppressing all the documents that would give ammunition to the opposition. His birth certificate listed the wrong name, no father and the wrong hospital.
He had created his folklore in is semi-autobiographical, ghostwritten best seller “Dreams of my Father.”
Now he finds out he doesn’t have an exotic name, he isn’t an African and he isn’t going to be the next President of the United States.
He gives his COLB to his trusted aide to scan in the COLB and edit it in Photoshop. She has only gotten through chapter six in “Photoshop for Dummies.” She doesn’t think it looks too bad.
The kids at DailyKOS get a hold of it and start to have fun with the clumsy forgery. Jay McKinnon and friends leave a little evidence around.
Whose forgery was posted on FightTheSmears?
More myths?