Birthright Or Birth Place

There are a lot of reasons I would prefer other than John McCain to win the Presidential election but the fact that he was born on a military installation in the Canal Zone is not one of them. The question seems to be whether or not this precludes him from being a natural born citizen and possibly ineligible for the Presidency.

I was always under the impression that being a natural born citizen meant that at least one of your parents was a citizen. Shows you what I know! In thinking about it I see where my thinking was flawed. We're back to defining what the definition of is is.

This really needs to be resolved now. It affects whole segments of our population. Not just John McCain's case. Look at this who's who of Presidential aspirants who have faced this issue. Chester A. Arthur was rumored to have been born in Canada though in fact it was Vermont. Barry Goldwater because Arizona was still a territory at the time of his birth. Franklin D. Roosevelt, Jr. because he was born on Campobello Island which is in Canada, Lowell P.Weiker, Jr. from Connecticut born in Paris and Geroge Romney - Mitt's father - was born in Mexico.

With the exception of Arthur, who was actually born on U.S. soil, none went on to the Presidency and the issue was never resolved.

We have a new problem facing us now. Besides clarifying the issue for every youngster born of U.S. parents out of the country, what about the children of immigrants, especially illegals, who are automatically citizens if born in the country? Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jennifer Granholm, who are serving as governors, were both citizens of other countries before becoming naturalized citizens of the U.S. Their ineligibility for the Presidency is clear.

But those kids who's parents flock across the border for jobs, social services and citizenship for their youngsters - how far can that citizenship take them? Are they, because they are born in the U.S. and are automatically citizens, considered natural born? It's time to make that determination rather than worry about John McCain's eligibility!