Monday, January 10, 2011

birthers, republicans and political strategy

Last week the 112th Congress took office…  new members were sworn in…  and the Constitution of the United States of America was read aloud.  That was most likely a good idea, as I am sure that no matter whether they are Republican, Democrat, Tea Party, Independent, or whatever fringe political party our congressional representatives may attach themselves to or consider themselves to be part of, there are not many of them who have the Constitution memorized.

Now, our Constitution is not worded exactly the same now, in 2011, as it was when it was originally written and adopted.  That is because there have been amendments made to it…  and rightfully so.  Our Founding Fathers were far-sighted enough to agree upon a constitution that would be able to be amended as time passed.  They knew that things would change within our country, and that our Constitution would need to change with it…  but so that the values upon which our country was founded, and which were embodied within the Constitution could not just be swept away arbitrarily by any individual or group in power on a whim or fancy, changing our Constitution, making amendments to it, was made a difficult process to achieve.  I give kudos to our Founding Fathers for this protection.

Now, one of the things included in our Constitution are the requirements that one must meet in order to serve as the President of the United States of America…  and among them is the requirement that any individual who serves as President must be a natural born citizen.  The man or woman who is President must have been born in the United States of America…  and of course most people know, I think, that this would include anyone who was born within any of the states that are considered to be part of the United States of America.

This is a simple enough concept, but apparently there are still those who do not understand it.  I say this because as I understand it, when our congressional leaders were reading the Constitution aloud last week, as they got to the part that mentioned the requirements to be the President, there was a woman who shouted out, “Except Obama!”

Now she did this for one of two reasons…  either she does not know that the State of Hawaii is a part of the United States of America… or she does not believe that President Obama was actually born in the State of Hawaii, as public records indicate.  While I know that it is not always wise to “assume” something, I will give her the benefit of the doubt and assume that she does indeed know that Hawaii is one of the states that make up our fair country…   so that must mean that she still does not believe that President Obama was actually born in the State of Hawaii…  and I suspect that she is not alone…  they are called “the birthers”…

It has now been two years since President Obama took office, after winning the 2008 presidential election.  This notion, that he is not a natural born citizen, started sometime while he was running for president, and during the campaign, was used as political fodder for those who were campaigning for his opponents.  Official public records show this idea for the ridiculous lie that it is.

In my humble opinion, it is time that this lie be laid to rest, in favor of the truth, that President Obama is indeed a natural born citizen, and whether or not one likes the man or even agrees with him, he should have the respect that any President of the United States deserves, simply because he is the President.  I also believe that it would go a long way to help end this lie, if Republicans, and even Tea Party-ers, would refute it definitely, openly and publicly.

Do I think that Republicans or Tea Party-ers will do this?  No.  And the reason has nothing to do with their beliefs about President Obama’s citizenship status, but rather more to do with political strategy…  It is simply more politically expedient for Republicans and Tea Party-ers to have a fringe of society constantly stirring this idea up at any opportune moment… as it keeps people divided at a time when we really need to be working together to find solutions for the pressing economic problems that we, as a nation continue to face.  C’mon Republicans…  C’mon Tea Party-ers…  help take out one more thing that is used to divide citizens of the United States… help put to death this lie that continues to be believed and spread by “the birthers”…