Should have known it wouldn’t be long before Chuck Norris roundhouse-kicked his way into the birther controversy. On the heels of World Net Daily’s “exclusive” today, the action hero and conservative wingnut has penned an open letter to President Obama, who turns 48 tomorrow, calling on him to release additional evidence that he is indeed an American citizen. Nevermind that a “Certification of Live Birth” (a/k/a the document you or I would use to obtain a license or passport) was released by Obama’s campaign, that officials in Hawaii have repeatedly confirmed that he was born there, that Obama’s 1961 birth announcement has been unearthed in Hawaii newspapers, that organizations including FactCheck.org have investigated claims that Obama is not a natural-born citizen and determined they’re BS—Norris would still like Obama to “request, release and give permission to make public” his original birth certificate. Norris says he doesn’t buy into the Obama’s-not-a-citizen hoopla per se, but for the good of the nation, if nothing else, he believes the administration should put this whole nasty business to rest once and for all.
From Norris’ letter:
Believe it or not, I’m not writing you to challenge whether you were born in America, though I see nothing wrong with the American public voicing that constitutionally based grievance with someone in your esteemed position. As one blogger wrote, after all, “We aren’t talking about a 12-year-old qualifying to play Little League here.” Or as Ronald Reagan once said, “Trust but verify.”
Personally, I must admit that I find it a bit of a groundless stretch not to believe in the birth announcements in two major Hawaiian newspapers in August of 1961, in which the Hawaiian Health Department would have been required to post information they received directly from hospitals: “Mr. and Mrs. Barack H. Obama, 6085 Kalanianaole Hwy., son, Aug. 4.” Nevertheless, that proof still doesn’t answer why you refuse to reveal your original birth certificate and end the growing tides of controversy.
I’m writing you because this is no longer a matter merely about proving a presidential prerequisite in the Constitution. Refusing to post a copy of your original birth certificate is an unwise political and leadership decision that is enabling the birther controversy. The nation you are called to lead is experiencing a growing swell of conspirators who are convinced that you are covering up something. So why not just prove them wrong and shut them up?
If the birther movement is truly full of a bunch of conspiracy-fringed kooks or “zombies,” as the Los Angeles Times proclaims, then prove once and for all that you are a naturally born citizen by posting your original birth certificate. And all the controversy will fade away like the pains of childbirth.
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