PART 2 – WHY THEY WON’T GO AWAY
by William Lolli, ©2011
(Mar. 23, 2011) — In Part 1 of Those Darn Birthers I examined why the Birthers are so despised by those who have a great deal to lose if they are right; that is, if Obama is not a natural born Citizen and therefore not eligible to hold the office of president.
In this segment I give a glance into the Birther Movement and what makes them so tenacious.
Birthers are an odd lot and some are a bit kooky. The press has used this to its advantage by making public figures of the oddest members, while silencing the more reasoned voices by denying them any mass-media attention. Consequently, the Birthers you see on TV are not representative of the 450,000 that possess a variety of Constitutional concerns.
The deeper, more resolved Birther does not care if Obama is white or black, Christian or Muslim. You will never hear a threat of violence from their lips or the use of a personal or racially-charged invective.
What you will hear, if you ever talk to one, is a deep-seated concern for the integrity of the Constitution and our civil rights.
You will hear a heart-wrenching appeal for the freedom of now-jailed US Army Lt. Colonel Lakin, whose only crime is that he asked his chain of command to validate the authority of the president as commander-in-chief.
You will hear all about the history of our country and what the Founding Fathers believed was a natural born Citizen; of how Article II, Section 1 was a defense against a sitting president having a foreign encumbrance or dual-allegiance to another power.
You will hear a debate between those who interpret the 14th Amendment to mean there is such a thing as Naturalized-Citizen-At-Birth, or that a natural born Citizen can only be born of two citizen parents, or you may hear from those who advocate the notion that only a paternal-connection can transfer the “natural born” status.
But in all of this, you will hear the cry for governmental responsibility: The demand that our representatives live up to their oaths of office to uphold the Supreme Law of the land. And the demand that, for the sake of the nation now and for future generations, Obama prove his natural born status, as required by the Constitution—the very document he swore to uphold, so help him God.
Birthers are lawyers and veterans, active and retired military, housewives and teachers, students and doctors, Republicans and Democrats. I have met Birthers from all walks of life. They are as diverse as the American people, and they love this country with the purest love—because they don’t care if they are laughed at, mocked or spit upon for their beliefs.
And they won’t quit until they know the truth.
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William Lolli is a regular columnist for SanDiego.com, which chose not to publish his series on the “Birthers” but granted permission for them to be published at The Post & Email. His bio can be found here.
Someone posted a link to the original story about the Marine in Hawaii who met someone who would appear to be Obama. There is a later, revised, version here:
http://nygoe.wordpress.com/2009/12/03/barack-obama-sighting-hawaii-1980-revised/
In my opinion, we could send a very powerful message to the nation as a whole with a simple national eligibility poll. One question:
“Do you believe that obama should immediately prove he is eligible for POTUS?”
Set up a web site such as WND or Post & Email for people to vote. Vote by indicating Yes or No. One vote per email address.
If the results of some recent polls are nearly accurate, we could all see at a glance just where the truth of this matter lies. (WND/WENZEL — Only 9% believe obama has documented his eligibility) and NYDN — nearly 7 of 10 believe obama has not sufficiently proven his eligibility. I think the results would be very difficult to ignore.
The Obots are getting very nervous. The strategy spelled out by Valerie Jarrett to attack candidates on the birth certificate question as a preemptive maneuver to ridicule the issue does not seem to work that well. “The View” anchors just hit a wall with Donald Trump.
Would the Donald take a page of Obama’s book in going where other potential Republican candidates do not dare to go? Would he contemplate a strategy ala Obama to get rid of his opponent by kicking him off the ballot? Was the exchange this morning on The View a warning shot? Show your real BC or do not bother running….
Yet the Donald only went after the jus soli criteria. Is it because his mother was born an English subject and possibly did not renounce her original citizenship before the Donald’s birth? Or because the Donald has not been properly briefed?
I’d say there is some investigation to do.
> Is it because his mother was born an English subject
Isn’t it a sad thing that none of those who are being touted as “our best hope for a legit candidate” have not been forthcoming with anything about their own eligibility or even have obvious eligibility problems themselves?
Andy Martin: avoids the issue (“will show mine when Obama shows his”)
Tom Miller: avoids the issue (“the US flag is my birth certificate”)
Donald Trump: avoids the issue (does not show his, is likely ineligible)
Who else is there to put faith in? Each and every one of those who have been trumpeted as Presidential material is obviously out of the question.
I don’t like the term “birther”, it has a connotation I dislike as if something is wrong with being a “birther”. I like the term American, as opposed to the term Communist which describe the ones that seem to get angry and fly off the handle when anyone brings up any question of eligibility about the man sleeping in our White House tonight. These Communists pulled off the biggest scam in world history. They spent a mint of money and got a foreign, Communist, Muslim, ineligible, unknown elected President of the greatest country in the free world. History will have a field day with this in our grand kids school days. You Brits should be proud of our 2008 election, we complimented you blokes by electing a British Subject President. Your own British Nationality Act of 1948 proves this. “O” Sr. was a Kenyan Brit back when Kenya was still under the British Crown. “THANK A LOT! ” You can have him back anytime you want! You can make him Queen and enjoy the change. Aren’t you guys about 60% Muslim now-a-days? You practice socialism. Heck you might love this guy. Take Him Back – PLEASE!
“What you will hear, if you ever talk to one, is a deep-seated concern for the integrity of the Constitution and our civil rights.”
True. And some of us just hating getting lied to in such a blatant manner. Forged documents photographed right inside of Obama headquarters (Factcheck photos that show forgery in progress), false statement from a WH spokesman (“I put in on the internet” Gibbs), Democratic Party officials who will not sign off the Constitutional eligibility of Obama even though he is from their state (Brian Schatz) and attempts to redefine Article II in the minds of the the people to get them to accept invalid and greatly weakened definition of what the founders meant when they included Article II, Section 1.
Most people I know are birthers at this point. They are lawyers, former judges, businessmen, teachers. They may not know who Brian Schatz is and that he basically has told the world – “Obama is not eligible.” But they know that the actions of the administration are irregular at best, likely criminal and possibly treasonous. MOST people understand that at this point. The MSM may belittle a man like Donald Trump, or call Col. Lakin a crazy birther. But “We The People” know. 2012 is lost the Obama/Ayers/Soros/SUIE alliance. They have no chance as long as the elections are somewhat fair.
The question now is whether the House will do its duty and protect the nation and order investigations. If not, then they are guilty of failing the Constitution and the People. As someone posted in another forum about the current efforts on this topic – “this makes Watergate look like a kiddie pool.” Welcome to 1973 – on steroids!
Several comments on the following thread at FreeRepublic are requesting info/link to the story about the Marine who met Obama in Hawaii in 1980 and was told by Obama that he (Obama) was born in Mombasa, Kenya.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2692093/posts?q=1&;page=235#235
For some reason I am unable to post at Freep – somebody please post this link to the article requested:
http://nygoe.wordpress.com/2009/11/17/barack-obama-sighting-hawaii-1980/
“Birthers are an odd lot …”
I live with my wife of twenty years, have two kids, run a small business that employs legal workers, I pay my taxes using my own ssn and I have an honorable discharge from the Marine Corps.
I wonder who he would call unusual or far out?
In my research of the Birther Movement I have formulated the opinion that Birthers comprise a certain demographic of society that is largely overlooked: a segment of the population that is not consciously absorbed, or is resistant to, by their nature, the domination of the popular-culture influence. For the most part, they are “out of the box” thinkers– which sets them at ‘odds’ with the general public.
The general public does not seem to ‘connect the dots’ very well when it comes to Constitutional violations. Birthers seem to ‘get it’ right off the bat– thus they are an odd lot.
And you will hear from any self-respecting “Birther” that Jindal, possibly Rubio and possibly Trump are all also not eligible and I have advised their campaigns or offices to provide proof of their eligibility if they plan to run. Does the GOP plan on making this a repeat of 08 where the candidate won’t mention address or challenge the eligibility of Obama as they are possibly ineligible too???
The GOP leadership has shown (after the Nov. election) exactly how tone-deaf they are and unwilling to do anything other than go along to get along-they all deserve to be removed -every one of the gutless wonders who have sold our Nation out for their own political ambitions or perceived job safety- even those new ones who campaigned one way and fell into lockstep as soon as they got to DC-it’s worse than pitiful-it’s treason-
For those of U.S. that ARE: “E PLURIBUS, UNUM!!
to william lolli —– you damn right we are not going to quit until the truth is totally revealed and all of the complicit scum with soetoro / obama are brought to justice. that is as far as i am concerned. i am a former retired marine from the old school when the word quit did not exist in our vocabulary.
Semper Fi, Johnny, from a USAF Vet
Ooh Rah Marine!
U.S. Army Vietnam Veteran
The media and the powers that be will reveal the truth (and we all know what that is) when Obama is safely out of office. The mere fact that he will not show it proves what we all believe anyhow. If he was born here, he would have shown it right off the bat. People have to face reality here, there is more corruption in our government than you could ever dream. And the enemies of America are not only outside our borders but are inside and in our government big time. That’s why you will not see his birth certificate,
I sent this to Jeff Flake.
Opps not this one but this one! sorry http://www.thepostemail.com/2011/03/21/we-are-not-birthers/
ONLY THING WE HAVE TO FEAR IS FEAR ITSELF
FDR addressed a nation on its knees, with many people in more dire straits than seen in two generations.
“This is preeminently the time to speak the truth, the whole truth, frankly and boldly. Nor need we shrink from honestly facing conditions in our country today. This great Nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper. So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance. In every dark hour of our national life a leadership of frankness and vigor has met with that understanding and support of the people themselves which is essential to victory. I am convinced that you will again give that support to leadership in these critical days.”
FDR. First Inaugural March 1933
“The deeper, more resolved Birther does not care if Obama is white or black, Christian or Muslim. You will never hear a threat of violence from their lips or the use of a personal or racially-charged invective.”
Those of us who are knowledgeable about Islam, Dar al-Islam and dar al-harb (House of Islam and House of War), and Sharia law are concerned about what appears to be his pro-Islamic agenda. If that’s because he’s Muslim or just another Islamo-Marxist doesn’t really matter. What matters is his policy of defending and protecting Islam’s creeping Sharia and Muslim jihadists from Americans wishing to exercise their right to criticize them instead of protecting Americans from Islamic terrorists. (His words about and his DOJ’s treatment of Nidal Hasan are prime examples of his pro-Islam, anti-American bias.) And I suppose I can’t be counted among “the deeper, more resolved birther[s]” because I’ll call Barky a floppy-eared, lying, Mao-lovin’ doofus every day of the week…shamelessly.
I agree that political objectives of Islam and Sharia law are a threat to democracies everywhere, but in my view that is a separate [and specific] concern. The Birther argument is one based upon the legal question of Article2 and the president’s, and the government’s overall unwillingness to uphold the law.
I believe there is a danger and trap to mix the two arguments, since the opponents to our positions will seize any opportunity to make Birthers/Truthers look like bigots.
There are a hell of a lot more than 450k. WND has a petition with more than 500k on it right now. I speak with people all the time that have concerns about the issue, and the weird thing is, It takes a lot of probing to get anything out of most people.
Other than that, you are correct. There is an unreported group of people, now the majority, who have concerns that our Constitution is being usurped.
Brian — for some time now I have been trying to get reliable numbers. Problem is, most of the major polling agencies will not look into this topic, for several reasons, including that their major clients are not interested and dont want to attract attention to the issue. — As I have stated– much is at stake and many influential people stand to lose a great deal if Obama is ineligible.
To my fellow Birthers – We may not win this battle, but I will guarantee you one thing – Our Honorable(?) Federal Government will NEVER attempt this “stunt” again. I pray it is not too late. Hopefully, we will be the catalyst that forced them to become honest.
The MSM, however, will cease to exist.
Facebook has replaced the mimeograph machine.
ms. helga (USURPERVILLE)
Mr. Lolli,
With polls showing up to 91% of Americans do not believe Obama has proven he is eligible, where did you get the 450,000 birthers from?
And, Mr. Lolli, are you a birther, and if not, why not?
Bob, I am a Birther. The figure came from WND about a year ago after the beginning of the billboard ad campaign.