"Natural born" in the U. S. Constitution refers to having been born in the United States, in a United States territory, or being the offspring of a parent who is a United States citizen. One of a number of exceptions would include the child of an ambassador from a foreign country who is born while the ambassador (if the ambassador IS the mother or the wife of the ambassador) is a resident of the U. S. at the time of the birth. Children born in a foreign country, but born of a U. S. qualifies as a "natural-born citizen." And there are a number of other stipulations.

Incidentally, if the other stipulations are met, it makes no difference if the baby is born "naturally" (vaginal birth) or by Caesarian section.

The circumstances of Barack Obama's birth have been the subject of a number of court trials--in official, established courts of law—and it has been solidly established on several occasions that he was born in the city of Honolulu, on the island of Oahu, in the state of Hawaii (which had received statehood two years before), on August 4th, 1961 of a Kenyan-born father and a U. S. born mother (State of Kansas, dead center of the United States).

According to the Constitution of the United States, this solidly establishes Obama as a citizen of the United States.

The questions raised about his birth certificate have also been long since resolved. But "birthers" will never be satisfied, of course. They believe what they believe because they desperately want to believe it, and no proof on earth will induce them to think otherwise.

Don Firth

P. S. A "naturalized" citizen would be one who is born in a foreign country of foreign born parents, and who applies for U. S. citizenship, passes the necessary examinations, and then swears an oath of loyalty to the United States. Naturalized citizens do not qualify for President. For example, Arnold Schwarzenegger, current governor of the State of California, born in Austria of Austrian parents, would not be able to run for President.