By now, most people should have heard about the debate over Barack Obama’s citizenship. If not, then you need to remove that rock that you have been living under for the past year. This is indeed a serious constitutional issue that many people nonetheless seem to enjoy mocking. But usurping the presidency is no laughing matter because the consequences can be devastating for the entire nation.

Barack Obama is not a natural-born citizen, and is therefore ineligible to hold the Office of President of the United States. This is a fact supported by constitutional law. Some will argue that the language used in our Constitution has no meaning, that it is wholly ambiguous, or that the term “natural-born citizen” is based on the English common law version of “natural-born subject.” All three are incorrect and the proof is irrefutable.

The only known, explicit definition of the term “natural-born citizen” was penned by the legal scholar, Emerich de Vattel, in his 1758 treatise, The Law of Nations. In this work, he defined the term as, “those born in the country, of parents who are citizens.” It was a meaning derived from centuries of natural law theory dating back to the Roman Empire. This term by Vattel was the exact same term adopted by our Founders during the constitutional convention and it is entirely consistent with our form of government. It is written into our Constitution as a qualification for president and must be obeyed; otherwise, the federal government – and the president in particular – is illegitimate.

Barack Obama was born to a father who was a British citizen and therefore acquired British citizenship at the time of his birth. According to Vattel’s definition – the same one adopted by our federal government and the People – Obama cannot be a natural-born citizen. As a result, he cannot legitimately be the President of the United States either.

The consequences of having a usurper acting as our president could not be more severe. Every law signed or action taken by a usurper is null and void upon discovering the fraud. It would be as if the presidency never occurred. The ensuing legal and civil chaos could prove to be insurmountable. The very fabric of our republic could dissolve before us.

Obama’s personal dilemma could be quite grave as well. Not only would he be removed from office, but he and his cohorts may also be prosecuted on a multitude of charges under the United States Criminal Codes. Among these charges could be fraud, perjury, and perhaps even espionage. This may explain the adamant refusal to disclose any possibly revealing documents from his past.

Regardless of who we believe is better suited for the job as president, our first duty as citizens is to uphold constitutional law and ensure that our government is doing the same. However, we must first know and understand what that law is. If you have not taken the time to comprehend natural law theory and how it greatly influenced our country and our Constitution, now would be a great time to learn about it. The principles explained in natural law theory are the same principles that guided our Founders and they are the same ones from which our citizenship laws are derived. That includes the requirements for presidential eligibility.

If you believe that this argument deserves ridicule, then your vast ignorance and ironically, your condescension, knows no bounds. The presidency has been usurped and the person claiming the position – Barack Obama – is wasting no time in causing irreparable damage to this nation. If a majority of our citizens believe that is something to be joked about, then this country may already be lost.

**This Xombyte is based on the original article written by this author at RationalLiberty.com, Barack Hussein Obama: Presidential Usurper