Why the Obama certificate issue is vitally important

Since June 2008, I've written dozens of posts about the Obama citizenship issue; see them at that link. The reason: because this is a vitally important topic. Does that mean I'm trying to prove that Barack Obama is ineligible for the presidency? No, in fact none of those posts are designed to show that. Rather, the goals include:

1. Encouraging others to acknowledge the fact that Obama has not provided definitive proof that he was born in Hawaii.

2. Encouraging others to acknowledge that the media and others have lied and misled about the basic, indisputable, easy-to-understand facts of this matter.

3. Encouraging others to engage in rigorous rather than sloppy thinking and realize the dangers of sloppy thinking to the U.S.

4. Encouraging others to realize the dangers to the U.S. of the establishment pushing an "official story" (that where Obama was born has been definitively proven) and trying to silence debate by calling those who disagree names (like "Birther").

Many people are confused by the first (or pretend to be confused in an attempt to silence debate). The fact that Obama has not definitively proven where he was born only means exactly what it says. It doesn't mean he was born elsewhere, just that he hasn't proved where he was born. Thus, these two statements are both false:

* It's known for a fact that Obama was born in Hawaii.

* It's known for a fact that Obama was born outside Hawaii.

But, how could both be false? He was born somewhere, right? Yes, but the operative parts of the foregoing involve what we know for a fact. Just because we don't know for a fact that he was born in the U.S. or elsewhere doesn't mean he was born outside the U.S. I personally think there's an excellent chance he was born in Hawaii, but that's a statement of opinion, not of a proven fact. Those who claim it's a fact that he was born in Hawaii are actually going on faith in Obama and not what we know for a fact. That doesn't mean they're wrong about where he was born, but it does mean they're wrong to state that we know it for a fact.

Once the above is clear, the three other points above come into focus. The mainstream media, bloggers, commentators, and politicians have repeatedly made false claims about the facts of the issue and what we know. Almost no one else has called them on their frequently bold lies. And, that's extremely dangerous to the U.S. The media has made abundantly clear that their official line is that it's proven that Obama was born in the U.S. and they've also made clear that they'll strike out against anyone who raises even the slightest questions.

What the media and others have done with this issue is approaching totalitarianism: if Stalin says grain production went up 43% last year, grain production went up 43% last year. And, if the mainstream media lies about the basic facts of this matter, then that's the newtruth and if you disagree they'll smear you by calling you a "Birther".

This site is about encouraging an open debate and about having an open mind. You'll find a list of those who believe the opposite in the entries on the Obama citizenship page.