I have been told all throughout school that I can not run for President because I was born in a different country. I asked if it made any difference that my birth certificate says U.S Citizen /Birth Abroad, and my government teacher said she wasn't sure on the details, exactly, but still believed that a citizen born in another country can not run for president. I looked this up, and it's true.
A New York Times article by William Safire states "Even children born abroad of U.S. citizens have fallen under the shadow of Article II". I'm going to assume most of you haven't memorized all the sections and articles of the Constitution (but if you have, I'm jealous!). To refresh your memory on what exactly Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution is:
"No person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty-five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States."
What difference does it make that someone was born in another country? Many kids were born in another country simply because their parents were on vacation, or, in my case, because my mom went to visit her grandma in Honduras. She wouldn't let my mom go back on that plane to America; she was about 8 months pregnant and figured it would be too risky. Why do so many people see something wrong with allowing a U.S Citizen who came from another country to run for president? Back when the presidential process first began, weren't most people from another country?
Heck, even Arnold agrees.
Sources:
http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/02/22/elec04.prez.schwarzenegger.ap/...
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/22/opinion/22safire.html?ex=1258866000&en...
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People being from another country way back when is explained by "or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution." They made an exception for themselves, for obvious reasons. And of course Arnold agrees, he wants to be president! However, I understand where you are coming from, and to some degree, I think you are right. The law is in place so that the president of the United States would never have any conflict of intrest by being loyal to another country.
I totally agree with you. I don't think that it matters where you were born or not -- I do think it matters how long you've been a citizen of the United States. But those who were born in other countries had no control over those circumstances at the time and I believe that they should be able to run for president.
This topic was actually brought up once in my U.S. history class. My teacher asked us, "Do you think a person who wasn't born in the United States should become president?" A majority said no. But then she said something that made us think -- "Well, last year my U.S. history class said that there would never be a person of color able to run for president." And that was only a year ago. I'm sure most people didn't think that we'd be able to have a woman and a African-American running for president..maybe it'll change for those who weren't born in the U.S.
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"No matter what he does, every person on earth plays a central role in the history of the world. And normally he doesn't know it." -- The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.
I thought about that - how being from another country may affect loyalty, but I can honestly say I know nothing about my country of origin. It was simply a location where I was born.
America is my country.
You're right about conflict of interest though.. I have family over there, and I guess if I was ever President, that country would have more priority with me than it normally would.
But still..
I think you count as being born in the US for the purposes of running for office and the like.
"What a man does for pay is of little significance. What he is, as a sensitive instrument responsive to the world's beauty, is everything!"
H. P. Lovecraft
They're just saying that someone who becomes a citizen via the naturalization test cannot become President. Anyone born on US soil OR born to at least one parent who is a US citizen is eligible for running for President.
Though, I think if you have dual citizenship, you have to give one of them up to run for President. Not sure on that one.
~C
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What would happen if you were born in a plane on your way to America? Could yuou be president? It would make sense if you could. But then again, it would make sense thatif youre parents were US citizens but you were born in another country just because they were on vacation, you were able to be president. confusing.
I'm almost 100% certain that John McCain was a U.S. Citizen born abroad.
Here's a NyTimes link: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/28/us/politics/28mccain.html?hp
"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." -F.N.