Why Obama's natural born status matters

newmediajournal ^ | 3 December 2008 | Frank Salvato

[HawaiianGecko]

[Ping to #22] 

In short:

— a natural born citizen would be one who, by operation of nature (descent) was born American, regardless of birthplace;

— a citizen would be one who, by operation of positive law, was deemed an American at birth, regardless of parents’ citizenship; and

— a naturalized citizen who, by operation of positive law and volition, becomes an American sometime subsequent to birth.

That's a good argument and the best definition I've ever heard argued concerning natural born citizen.  The next step is convincing a few key judges.  I haven't read any decisions that would rate as precedence agreeing with you, but there's always a first time.

[Tublecane]

“Everything beyond that is made up by man and, thus, is not by operation of nature, but by operation of law.”

Exactly so. That’s what rules us: the law of men, not the law of God. Determining who is a citizen is not a matter for theologists, as you say, but neither is it a matter for common sense.