Some of the folks who comment here frequently mention articles from The Betrayal Blog so I have the chance to follow at least the subjects there even if I don’t get to visit as much as I might like. This blog is a one-man show and takes up most of my free time. Obama doesn’t pay me enough to quit my day job [JUST JOKING!].
Anyway, I was musing today about how truly different the world view is here than at The Betrayal.
Patriotism is a major theme at The Betrayal. Patriotism (like Religion) is a wonderful and virtuous thing, but it is also as an idea is like a loaded gun: it carries a lot of power and it can do a lot of damage if not handled responsibly. Patriotism coupled with false information aims the gun in the wrong direction.
I have studied a lot recently, particularly on Hawaiian Birth Certificate Law, and citizenship law. I understand the arguments well and I say bluntly: assertions that Barack Obama was not born in Hawaii are so poorly supported as to border on the silly. Further, claims that natural born citizens must be born of citizen parents have no basis in law, as evidenced by fact that no state denied Obama the ballot, Congress unanimously approved the election, and the Supreme Court has refused to hear any of the pleas of those objecting. (Subject related articles are Barack Obama’s Birth Certificate Doesn’t Really Say He Was Born in Hawaii and Two Kinds of Citizen.)
I see on your web site, and that of Berg and Taitz, statements thatyour supporters are “patriots,” and no doubt they are. The problem is that their patriotism is misguided and they have been lead to believe that essentially the whole country (except for their valiant little band) is under some kind of a spell. Hypnotism, one of your articles called it. These web sites are case studies in how misguided patriotism turns into an ugly mob, virtual vigilantism.
While The Betrayal casts the debate as a bitter struggle between the patriots and the usurper, I view the debate as a battle between common sense and silliness. What will irritate the tar out of me, though, is that if one day Barack Obama’s Hawaiian Birth Registration form is released, and that the Supreme Court affirms what almost everybody knows that everyone born in the United States (except for the families of ambassadors) is a natural born citizen, the folks who have been making all this fuss will blame Obama, Congress and the Supreme Court for all the turmoil in the blogosphere, rather than their own lack of critical thinking.
“Assertions that Barack Obama was not born in Hawaii are so poorly supported as to border on the silly.”
You’re absolutely right. There is no evidence to support such claims. A few eyewitnesses aren’t enough to be sure. Some of the birthers are a little strange.
So that’s why everyone is instead wondering why Obama has supernaturally hidden his entire citizenship history, and requests courts to dismiss any taxpayer requests to establish his basic eligibility.
Considering that the only school records we have of Obama describe him explicitly as an Indonesian citizen, and that his own website said that he had had multiple allegiances and was ineligible under Constitutional intent, asking for some disclosure is not an unreasonable request to make.
It is, however, an unreasonable response to stonewall. That’s the issue.
Obama’s web site says that he had “dual citizenship”, not “dual allegiances”. The Constitution says neither. It’s fine to talk about “intent” but one has to make the argument about what such intent was, and I find the “birth place plus 2 citizen parents” completely impossible as “intent”.
You’re welcome to dispute that in comments under Two Kinds of Citizen.
ConstitutionWatch.org has been on the sidelines during the discussion of Barack Obama’s status as a natural born citizen. Just before his inauguration-they have jumped into the battle with both feet.
ConstitutionWatch.org jumps into the Obama birth certificate fray
The article at ConstitutionWatch.org is one of the most intellectually bankrupt of the arguments against Obama’s eligibility for president. The main argument is that so many people are suing Obama, that there must be something true. They also throw in the grandmother tape fraud and the Pakistan travel ban myth. Readers here would know better.
A Reader,
“Considering that the only school records we have of Obama describe him explicitly as an Indonesian citizen,”
Gee, Obama was what? 6-7 when that “school record” was filled out. Who do you think filled it out? Wasn’t Obama.
You also leave out the fact that this “school record” also reflects that Obama was born in Honolulu. And, when I pointed this out to Robert Stevens at Doc Orly’s blog, he quickly changed his mind as to the “importance” of this “school record.” In fact, stated that the “school record” wasn’t a very good source/important document. LOL
You might want to go educate yourself regarding USA and Indonesian laws regarding dual citizenship in 1961 regarding a minor. Dr. C. has some very good articles posted here.
Re: ConstitutionWatch.org article.
Breaking it down ….
we will list the facts- absolute, 100% truths, below:
Let’s break down those alleged “absolute, 100% truths”
“* It has been said, and verified, that Barack Obama’s grandmother in Kenya told many of her neighbors, friends and relatives that she witnessed Barack Obama’s birth- in Kenya. Whether or not that is the truth, the fact is that she made that statement. That, alone, should be enough to spark an investigation.”
VERIFIABLY FALSE. It has been alleged multiple times, but not verified. In fact, in the only VERIFIABLE statement made by Step-Grandmother Obama, she said that Obama was born in Hawaii, and repeatedly and emphatically corrected the “Bishop’s” misunderstanding otherwise. See Doc Conspiracy’s articles on this issue here.
“* There also are questions raised about Obama’s move to Indonesia when he was a child and his attendance at school there when only Indonesian citizens were allowed and his travel to Pakistan in the ’80s when such travel was forbidden to American citizens.”
VERIFIABLY FALSE that American citizens were forbidden to travel to Pakistan in the 1980s. See Doc Conspiracy’s article on same, here.
UNSUBSTANTIATED CLAIM that only Indonesian citizens were allowed to attend school, and CONTRADICTED by VERIFIABLE FACT that Obama could not become an Indonesian citizen under Indonesian law at the time as shown here.
As for the several statements about people suing, demanding documents and/or demanding certain actions – that may be true. These demands have been going on for months. All authorities have rejected them.