Obama Vs. The Birthers

Kevin O'Brien

PS 121 (02)

9/3/12

There is a group of individuals, called birthers, who believe that our current President of the United States, Barack Obama, should not be reelected in office. Birthers question the citizenship of Obama, as well as his eligibility to be president. Where a president must have proof that he was born in the United States, and have legally born parents, birthers believe that Obama meets none of those requirements. It can be stated that Obama was in fact born in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1961; the same year Hawaii was declared a state (Tonchen). However, it can be found that Obama acquired citizenship in Great Britain from his father. Barack Obama Sr. was a Kenyan native and, “a British subject whose citizenship status was governed by The British Nationality Act of 1948” (Tonchen). With that being said, birthers can stand behind their claim that Obama cannot run for president due to his father’s British citizenship.

Tonchen, Stephen. "Obama Presidential Eligibility - An Introductory Primer." people.mags.net. N.p., 2 Sept. 2012. Web. 3 Sept. 2012. <http://people.mags.net/tonchen/birthers.htm>.