A Statement of Political Philosophy

[Tony W. Smith]

A Statement of Political Philosophy
I BELIEVE:

· That the writings of the U.S. Constitution apply to every man, woman, boy or girl who is a citizen of the United States. There should never be a distinction between a natural born citizen and a naturalized citizen.

· I believe the Constitution should apply equally to every citizen, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity (which is simply a circumstance of birth), religion, or political affiliation. The Constitution creates a representative government "Of the People, By the People and For the People".

- I do not believe that the Constitution provides rights to any person who is NOT a citizen of the United States except to be protected and treated fairly as long as they are legally within our borders.

- I do not believe that any person who is in this nation ILLEGALLY has any rights whatsoever and cannot claim any privileges why they are here.

· I believe that the Constitution must apply to government at all levels, from one's home town city council or school board to Washington D.C. I also believe that when we choose a representative, they should actually represent us. When they do not, I believe that they must be removed and someone else chosen who will represent us.

I ALSO BELIEVE:

· That all political power and influence should flow from the grass roots upward, not from government down to the people.

· That all human rights are granted by God, not by government.
· That government exists primarily to protect the God-given rights of its citizens.
· That the Constitution was written by wise men under the inspiration of God, and that the original intent of the Founders is as valid and binding today, as it was in their day.
· That the Constitution was written to govern a moral and God-fearing people; that those who are neither are systematically destroying it.
· That the unborn child has a fundamental individual right to life, which cannot be infringed.
· That this sacred right extends to all persons regardless of age or infirmity and does not allow for euthanasia, assisted suicide, or public funding for any of these practices.
· That the traditional family is the foundation and cornerstone of our society. We must oppose any attempt to undermine or redefine the family unit.

· That the founders never intended to separate God from government, but did intend to prevent government from establishing a single state religion and/or inhibiting the citizen's right to the free exercise of religion in any setting, public or private.

· That free market capitalism is the only economic system that creates opportunities and incentives that will allow maximum productivity and prosperity for its citizens. It is the necessary partner of political freedom.

· Taxation is a deterrent to productivity and prosperity when it exceeds funding for basic necessary services, infrastructure, and the defense of our nation. Social programs need to be kept at a minimum so that they serve only as stop-gap emergency assistance - not evolve as a means to a free, government-funded lifestyle. Social programs should stimulate and encourage productivity: not become substitutes for productive lives. If we must be taxed, then I do support the "FAIR TAX" plan.

I am a believer in the Constitution of the United States, as written. Those in public office have a solemn responsibility to uphold the Constitution as written and intended by our Founding Fathers, and not re-interpret it to fit the changing times, culture or mores of the day.

The Founders intended for The United States to become a great nation with a small, limited Federal Government and strong Local Governments. They wrote the U.S. Constitution as a limiting factor for government control and as an empowerment to the people.

In the necessity of national sovereignty, therefore, I believe it to be crucial that we return to appropriate state sovereignty under the 10th amendment.

I FURTHER BELIEVE:

· That the United States, by virtue of its position as the lone remaining world superpower, has a responsibility to maintain peace and tranquility in the world. While we do not want to become a policeman to the world, we must take whatever steps are necessary to ensure our own national safety and security. At the same time, our involvement in the world community must never be hostage to the opinions of other nations whose goals and interests are at odds with life, liberty, and the pursuit of freedom.

· That any participation in or with the United Nations must never compromise our national safety and interests. While the UN may be called upon to serve in an advisory capacity from time to time as deemed necessary, it must never be given authority by our national leaders to act contrary to our well being.

· That our educational system was and is supposed to be the backbone of our future generations. Yet, it has been contaminated by those with a socialist agenda, seeking to rewrite our history and re-shape the minds of our young people to fit a polar opposite mindset from that of our founding fathers.

· That if we are to have a new generation of pioneers, visionaries and adventurers who are unafraid to "boldly go where no one has gone before," we must rid our educational system of the terror of political correctness, as well as the hate and racism of the socialist left. The efforts of revisionists to rewrite the history of our nation are a travesty that robs our youth of our rich national heritage.

· That the attempts by those who hate God to eliminate any reference to Him, and find the mention of the name of Jesus Christ, or a quotation from the Bible by public officials offensive, must be regarded as exactly what they are: a tiny minority who do not represent the mainstream of American life. Efforts by the ACLU and leftist courts must be reversed, and our nation returned to its First Amendment guarantees.

Campaigns by a minority to assert "civil liberties" at the expense of the majority must not be allowed to warp or alter the fundamental freedoms we have known for more than two centuries. While individuals in the minority are certainly entitled to express their opinions as loudly as they so desire, it is wrong for the national majority to be forced by the fiat of judges or politicians to bow to those opinions.

Our nation is a Democracy - not a socialist state. A democracy is a government ruled by the will of the majority. Unless we take action now, this nation will continue its slide into the anarchy of socialism. America must cease to allow the would-be tyranny of a minority or individuals to alter the character of its existence and re-shape its national makeup into a nation ruled by government. We MUST return to our original status as a Republic.

America was founded as a Christian nation by our forefathers — NOT as an atheistic or God-hating country. While they sought to prevent America from becoming a nation that had a state religion, the purpose of America’s founding was to provide people with the complete and unfettered liberty to worship God. Our founding fathers made Christ the centerpiece of our Constitution, but sought to ensure that people of other religions had the freedom to worship — or not worship — according to their own dictates. We are being systematically robbed of those liberties by those who seek to re-make the Constitution into their Christ– and God-hating image.

I believe that God has a purpose and destiny for America that is yet to be realized; that in order for the fulfillment of that destiny, we must have representation willing to take the necessary stand against socialism and the liberal bias that is eroding our Christian heritage and robbing us of a free and prosperous future. The support of all who name the name of Christ is integral to the success of all that we do.

Will you commit to pray for America on a regular and consistent basis and take an active stand in Her defense? If you agree and will commit, please join my friends and I as we take a stand for our great nation.
We cannot do this without the support of God’s people.

With great respect,
Tony W. Smith, The Texas Patriot

[Tony W. Smith]

Sandra,

You are a treasure! I have been know for being rather long winded when I have a keyboard in front of me, but that comes with so many years of wordsmithing.

Merry CHRISTmas to you and to all the members of We the People!

Tony

[WTPUSA]

Thank you Tony for taking the time to respond. I appreciate your thoughtful and thorough answer.

[Tony W. Smith]

Regarding Obama's citizen status, I honestly don't know! I hope that the true facts are uncovered and let the chip's fall where they may. I believe that I answered your questions in my response above.

I personally feel that Obama is probably not a citizen as shown above and the fact that he is reluctant to produce a certified birth certificate adds to that belief.

The constitution is very clear that only a person who IS A NATURAL CITIZEN can serve as the president of the USA. This does not preclude them from holding any other office if they are naturalized. If Obama is proven to NOT be a NATURAL BORN citizen, he must be removed immediately. If he ran for the presidency knowing that he was not eligible to do so, he should be tried in federal courts and imprisioned for the rest of his life.

"Do you believe that "Naturalized" citizens should be allowed to be POTUS?" Absolutley NOT! Obama may or may not be a natural citizen, but one thing is for sure, he was never naturalized. He is either a citizen or he is not. We will find out!

I am watching this issue closely and hope to see a resolution soon.

If the issue about my original statement is that of Obama's status, you will find that I am on the same page with most of you in this forum.

Obama should have been deemed ineligable for the presidency because of his background, alliances and many other atrocities in his background. He and McCain should both have been required to prove their citizen status before they ever went on the ballot in the first place. McCain did an he took some grief for his status even though he is covered under Title 8 as shown above.

I supported Duncan Hunter for the presidency even though I admire Ron Paul very much. Duncan is much closer to my own beliefs on a few specific issues than Ron even though I agree with Ron more than 90% of the time.

I really hope to see something happen that will prevent Obama's "ascention to the throne", but I really don't think that this will happen. If it does, then there will be cause to rejoice, but just in the event that he does remain in office, my goal is to take advantage of his "change" to bring true patriots into the congress and sentate in 2010. Remember 1994?

I wonder where those folks went!

I predict that if Obama does remains in office and does even a small part of what he has promised, his popularity will make President Bush's numbers look high in two years. That will open the door for true conservatives to move into position for a revival of common sense in America.

If you have any more questions, please ask and I will do my best to answer them.

With great respect,
Tony

[WTPUSA]

Tony, could please clarify your position then in terms of Obama's questionable "natural born" citizenship status.

US Law very clearly stipulated at the time Obama was born: “If only one parent was a US citizen at the time of birth, that parent must have resided in the United States for at least ten years, at least five of which had to be after the age of 16.”

Since Obama’s father was not a US citizen, and Obama’s mother was only 18 when he was born, this means that his mother fails the test, because she was not a US Citizen for at least 5 years prior to Barack Obama’s birth. So under the law that was in effect at the time of Obama's birth, how do you view Obama's "Natural Born Citizenship" in the following scenarios.

The below scenarios assume, obviously, that Obama's mother is a citizen, but that she DID NOT reside in the US for 5 or more years (as the law above stated) after the age of 16 and that Obama's biological father, at the time of his birth was a Kenyan National.

1. Obama Born in Kenya- Natural born Citizen? Yes or No?
2. Obama Born in Hawaii- Natural Born Citizen? Yes or No?
3. Obama Born in Hawaii-Becomes a Citizen of Indonesia, returns from Indonesia and never takes an Oath of Allegiance to the US? Natural Born Citizen? Yes or No?
4. Obama born abroad and legally "Naturalized" as US Citizen. Natural Born Citizen? Yes or No?

Do you believe that our Founding Fathers wanted to restrict the Presidency to a candidate that was "Natural Born?"

Do you believe that "Naturalized" citizens should be allowed to be POTUS?

Do you believe there should be any distinction, whatsoever, between a "Naturalized" citizen and a "Natural Born" citizen?

Thanks in advance for your clarification.

[Tony W. Smith]

Interesting comments my friends,

There seems to be some controversy regarding the fact that I believe that a naturalized citizen should be seen in the same light as a person who was born in the United States. I stand by that statement in that when a person legally becomes a citizen, they are afforded every right that a natural born citizen enjoys except the privilege to become the President of the United States. This is the law of the land constitutionally and through subsequent legislation which is compatible with the constitution.

I was speaking generally about the status of natural citizens in comparison to those who became naturalized citizens. I was not speaking to their political potential, but rather to their standing as an individual within our society. I also decried the status of those illegal aliens who trespass into our nation and demand their rights! Perhaps the following will clarify my view on this subject.

In the 1980's, I worked with President Reagan's "amnesty" program and assisted hundreds of illegal's to become fully documented and had the privilege of guiding many of these folks to citizenship. I thought at the time that this amnesty was a good idea and still do. However, I have been angry for twenty years that the full plan was not carried out: ie.. the enforcement of the laws afterward. I have been against every other amnesty that has transpired since the 80's and shall continue to take a stand against them, especially now.

I learned much about citizenship during that time and saw the constitution and our laws at work in a grand way. I also was dismayed that after the initial amnesty, our laws and the constitution seems to have been pushed to the back burner. That said, the primary difference between a natural born citizen and a naturalized citizen is their place of birth. A naturalized citizen has every right and privilege that a native born citizen has except that the office of the President is out of their reach.

If you're going to be involved in government in the United States, citizenship is a must. To be a Senator or Representative, you must be a citizen of the United States. To be President, not only must you be a citizen, but you must also be natural-born. Aside from participation in government, citizenship is an honor bestowed upon people by the citizenry of the United States when a non-citizen passes the required tests and submits to an oath.

A natural-born citizen is a citizen at birth and as such, that person can be a President someday?

The 14th Amendment defines citizenship this way: "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside." But even this does not get specific enough. As usual, the Constitution provides the framework for the law, but it is the law that fills in the gaps.

Currently, Title 8 of the U.S. Code fills in those gaps. Section 1401 defines the following as people who are "citizens of the United States at birth:"

Anyone born inside the United States

* Any Indian or Eskimo born in the United States, provided being a citizen of the U.S. does not impair the person's status as a citizen of the tribe
* Any one born outside the United States, both of whose parents are citizens of the U.S., as long as one parent has lived in the U.S.
* Any one born outside the United States, if one parent is a citizen and lived in the U.S. for at least one year and the other parent is a U.S. national
* Any one born in a U.S. possession, if one parent is a citizen and lived in the U.S. for at least one year
* Any one found in the U.S. under the age of five, whose parentage cannot be determined, as long as proof of non-citizenship is not provided by age 21
* Any one born outside the United States, if one parent is an alien and as long as the other parent is a citizen of the U.S. who lived in the U.S. for at least five years (with military and diplomatic service included in this time)
* A final, historical condition: a person born before 5/24/1934 of an alien father and a U.S. citizen mother who has lived in the U.S.

Anyone falling into these categories is considered natural-born, and is eligible to run for President or Vice President. These provisions allow the children of military families to be considered natural-born, for example.

Separate sections handle territories that the United States has acquired over time, such as Puerto Rico (8 USC 1402), Alaska (8 USC 1404), Hawaii (8 USC 1405), the U.S. Virgin Islands (8 USC 1406), and Guam (8 USC 1407). Each of these sections confer citizenship on persons living in these territories as of a certain date, and usually confer natural-born status on persons born in those territories after that date. For example, for Puerto Rico, all persons born in Puerto Rico between April 11, 1899, and January 12, 1941, are automatically conferred citizenship as of the date the law was signed by the President (June 27, 1952). Additionally, all persons born in Puerto Rico on or after January 13, 1941, are natural-born citizens of the United States. Note that because of when the law was passed, for some, the natural-born status was retroactive.

The law contains one other section of historical note, concerning the Panama Canal Zone and the nation of Panama. In 8 USC 1403, the law states that anyone born in the Canal Zone or in Panama itself, on or after February 26, 1904, to a mother and/or father who is a United States citizen, was "declared" to be a United States citizen. Note that the terms "natural-born" or "citizen at birth" are missing from this section.

When Arizona Senator John McCain ran for president, some theorized that because McCain was born in the Canal Zone, he was not actually qualified to be president. However, it should be noted that section 1403 was written to apply to a small group of people to whom section 1401 did not apply. McCain is a natural-born citizen under 8 USC 1401(c): "a person born outside of the United States and its outlying possessions of parents both of whom are citizens of the United States and one of whom has had a residence in the United States or one of its outlying possessions, prior to the birth of such person." Not eveyone agrees that this section includes McCain - but absent a court ruling either way, we must presume citizenship.

U.S. Nationals: A "national" is a person who is considered under the legal protection of a country, while not necessarily a citizen. National status is generally conferred on persons who lived in places acquired by the U.S. before the date of acquisition. A person can be a national-at-birth under a similar set of rules for a natural-born citizen. U.S. nationals must go through the same processes as an immigrant to become a full citizen. U.S. nationals who become citizens are not considered natural-born.

A non-citizen may apply to become a citizen of the United States. At no time will such a person ever be considered natural-born (unless the U.S. Code is changed in some way). The process to become a citizen involves several steps, including applying to become and becoming a permanent resident (previously known as a resident alien), applying to become and becoming naturalized, and finally taking the Oath of Allegiance to the United States. Children of naturalized U.S. citizens generally become citizens automatically, though they will also not be considered natural-born.

There is a time constraint before a permanent resident can apply for naturalization, generally either 3 or 5 years. The other requirements are that there be a minimum length of time in a specific state or district, successful completion of a citizenship exam, ability to read, write, and speak English, and good moral character.

The following is the text of the Oath of Allegiance: "I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and
that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God.

How many "natural born" citizens in America today would take that oath and stand by it?

Respectfully,
Tony

[Judy Doyle]

Tony, you lost me too with your belief that a "natural born" citizen and a "naturaized" citizen have no distinction. That is why our Founding Fathers stated "natural born" when determining the three criteria whether a person could hold the position of POTUS. Please re-read the Constitution. Distortion of that very important document is one reason that Soetoro/obama has gotten as far as he has.

[Mairi]

"That the writings of the U.S. Constitution apply to every man, woman, boy or girl who is a citizen of the United States. There should never be a distinction between a natural born citizen and a naturalized citizen."
Sorry, Tony, but you blew it RIGHT there! The Founding Fathers had the foresight to know that an "outsider", a "usurper" could take advantage of just such a belief. Have you SEEN the photos of BO campaigning for Raila in Kenya? Do you KNOW that Raila had signed an agreement with our enemies? Do you KNOW that when Raila lost, he had women and children burned alive in a Church? Do you know he had opponents SLAUGHTERED in the streets! Are you actually that STUPID???
I won't even grace the rest of your IDIOCY with my time! WAKE UP!
You make a mockery of our Constitution, and the Founding Fathers! You disgrace every every American who has laid down their life for this Nation!
What do you think we are fighting for here?
We MUST preserve the Constitution, and the law that states ONLY a "Natural Born" American may serve as POTUS!