I feel that to change the Constitution concerning the requirements to be eligible to run for President of the United States would be a reckless act on our part.  To equate those immigrants who have graced our shores and became outstanding contributors to both our religious and secular lives to being capable and trustworthy enough to lead our country is, in my opinion, stretching it a bit. 

 

To be born in America, and gone to school in America imbibes one with a sense of deep love and appreciation for what this country is.  And our study of world history leads us to  realize how lucky we are to be living in this country. 

 

Also important is the fact that our parents were Americans, either by choice or by birth, and from them we have learned of the unfortunate experiences of a large segment of the outside world.  This reinforces our feelings of love towards this country.  This may not be true with individuals who were born and raised elsewhere.  I emphasis MAY.  And this is more important today that ever before in the history of our country. 

 

We are all aware of 911.  This was perpetrated by individuals whose allegiances were elsewhere.  For a variety of reasons, they were either jealous of our freedom to be what we want and what we are capable of, and had a different sense of beliefs, because of either their schooling or their family behavior and were taught and driven to impose their ideas on others. 

 

Therefore, if this individual’s loyalties are elsewhere and they are merely working and living here with the idea of ingratiating themselves amongst the people, they may have a different long term objective, i.e. public office.  We don’t know this and we can be fooled as we were with the 911 individuals, who lived and worked here.  To be able to do this at the local level, i.e. State, county, city etc., may cause pain but will not get them very far in injuring America and/or the American people.  The Presidency is another story.

 

Aside from the fact that Schwarzenegger has not done anything to date to show us how he intends to rescue California from its current financial and ethnic dilemmas, his background and upbringing certainly is suspect.  I am not implying that there is any connection between his background and his intention, but only using this as an example of what we are leaving ourselves open to should we decide to “open enrollment” to anyone, from anywhere, with any kind of a background.  Besides, if they are truly worthy they can serve their adopted country as an advisor to a President, a la Henry Kissinger.

 

We currently carefully check individuals who want to board a plane where the lives of 300 individuals (or possibly more) are at stake.  Why not be careful about whom we allow to run for the Presidency?

 —Gerry Greber, Carlsbad

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First of all, contrary to populist impression or misuse of terms, the United States is not a democracy but a republic, meaning that we do not rule by plebiscites of the day (although in modern times, some seem to misuse polls this way, even though very transitory and often scientifically in error).  We rule through representatives.  That is what was specifically intended by the nation's founders, including that only a native born citizen shall be president.  The reason is not xenophobia, but rather that the candidates and winner shall be for life imbued with American ethos and mores and, thus, be representative of America.  

It is not a matter of intelligence or of learning (although those are taken into account by the electorate), but more of representative culture and morality.  Don, you should have relearned this from the analyses of the recent election.  --  Further, analogies by their very nature are not accurate representations of reality, but rather more often abused for sophistic argument. That applies to your citing Judaism's treatment of Jews By Choice as analogous to the qualification and selection of the US president, two totally unrelated subjects.  

Even then, it is also inaccurate to state that Judaism provides all the same rights to converts as to those born Jewish, as in traditional Judaism, for example, a Kohayn (our traditionally ruling priests) cannot marry a convert as that would create an impure lineage for the continuation of the Kohaynim.  There is no doubt that converts merit, rise to and serve ably in our community's leadership, and we should encourage and be thankful for that.  But, that is quite different from president of the United States.  --  

Lastly, the raising of the subject for discussion is little more than a ploy by media commentators to have something to talk about to fill all those endless hours of chat radio and TV.  No one in the Republican Party, Democrat Party, Schwartzenegger family, or anywhere else takes the discussion seriously.  That you should use it to spur discussion on your new blog is sensationalist, and there are plenty of other more serious and pressing subjects to which we should be paying attention.