Why Obama's Evasion Means He's Unfit

"Fatetur facinus qui judicium fugit."

In case your Latin is a little rusty, that means, "A person who flees judgment confesses guilt."

It is a principle of the law that can be traced back at least to Black's Law Dictionary, which was published in England in 1718 and was immensely influential to America's Founders.

It is almost a self-evident principle, but because we live in an age in which much of what was previously self-evident has become obscured, it's worth mentioning again — particularly in regard to Barack Obama's determined effort to block any effort to ascertain whether he is actually constitutionally eligible to serve as president of the United States.

When American citizens demand proof that Obama is indeed a natural-born citizen, as the Constitution requires, it's not like a criminal indictment of someone, in which that person is presumed innocent until proven guilty. In this case, the burden of proof is on Obama, and he has done everything humanly possible to avoid releasing that proof to controlling legal authorities and the people he serves.

Think about it. Obama was elected to serve you under the parameters of the Constitution, which he took a sworn oath to uphold. (We all watched him botch it so badly he was forced to do it again — in private.)

Yet he steadfastly refuses to provide the evidence of his own eligibility under that Constitution. No one has seen it — not the Federal Election Commission, not the secretaries of state who presided over his elections, not the Supreme Court of the United States, not the governor of Hawaii — who has refused to release what she claims is a birth certificate, the presence of which would end this matter of supreme public interest — and not the Congress of the United States, whose members — both majority and minority — are apparently too afraid of public ridicule to do what they have sworn to do: enforce the Constitution. What does that tell you?

According to the aforementioned principle of the law, Obama is a kind of fugitive, a kind of scofflaw, someone who deliberately — and with malice aforethought — is undermining the rule of law.

There are some people who insist none of this is really important.

They say Obama won the election fair and square and that ends the debate. They say pursuing this constitutional issue is a waste of time, a dead end. They even say anyone devoted to pursuing the truth is some kind of wacky conspiracy nut. I couldn't disagree more vehemently.

There is a vital principle at stake. It's called the sanctity of the Constitution and the rule of law. I am well aware of the many ways Washington has averted its eyes from the literal words of the Constitution throughout our history in efforts to do whatever it has wanted — legal or not. This is certainly not the first time.

But think of what it would mean if Obama were permitted to get away with his deliberate evasion of the law. He is, as president, the man charged with administering the law, with enforcing the law. Is he himself above it? Apparently, he thinks he is, and that attitude already has manifested itself in a thousand ways in just the first two months he has held office illegitimately.

A president who is hiding secrets subjects himself — and thereby the best interests of our country — to blackmail. And there is no question Obama has a secret. I'm not sure what that secret is, but it apparently involves the circumstances of his birth and probably much more.

If he truly was born in Hawaii, it's a simple matter to prove. It is nearly an impossible task to disprove it. All Obama needs to do to settle all questions is produce a simple long-form birth certificate, which all Americans are forced to show when they first obtain driver's licenses, attend schools, participate in organized sports activities, or obtain even low-level government jobs.

Don't you think it's time the president of the United States came clean with us and released his?

If you agree with me, I urge you to sign the growing petition I established, at http://www.wnd.com. It now exceeds 350,000 names. Keep up the pressure. Don't let this issue die. If it did, another little piece of the Constitution would die with it.

Joseph Farah's newest book, "None of the Above: Why 2008 Is the Year To Cast the Ultimate Protest Vote," is available now. To find out more about Joseph Farah and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

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