As November 6 came and went, Americans prepared themselves for the election “that would define our country” as many people have said time and time again.
While mudslinging and the public ridicule of candidates has become an American tradition, one archaic rule still remains in place: people who are not born in the United States of America are still unable to run for the president.
Even those who have gone through the process of obtaining residency and later on achieving citizenship are rejected the opportunity to run for the highest public office because of a law passed by Congress more than 200 years ago to prevent one of America’s earliest figure heads, Alexander Hamilton, from obtaining the presidency.
Alexander Hamilton, one of our countries most influential leaders, was Secretary of the Treasury during George Washington’s administration. Bright, ambitious, and persistent, he practically always succeeded in influencing our first Presidents decisions. Yet, through his actions that gave an increasingly large amount of power to the then new federal government, Hamilton made numerous enemies during his lifetime. Enemies that once and for all succeeded in crushing his presidential aspirations with the Naturalization Act of 1790.
Needless to say, Alexander Hamilton never became president. Although the elderly elitist succeeded in making our country follow his financial ideology, he never succeeded in passing domestic laws. Domestic laws which would have undoubtedly changed our nation’s history.
And it is this questioning, this constant hypothesizing of how things could have been different that haunts us even now. Who knows how many masterminds we have turned away? People who could have avoided wars, people who could have averted financial meltdowns, people who could have prevented lethal social uproars.
I don’t have a doubt in my mind that we have neglected allowing talented political geniuses ascend to our most prized public office. At the same time, I am positive that we have prevented less than qualified people from causing our nation harm. However, that is not the point.
As a nation that embraces liberty, justice and equality, it is nothing less than hypocritical for us to deny those who have left their birthplace and made the effort to become Americans the fighting chance to run for a position that will allow them to do much good in our country and, essentially, the world. Sure, we’ll let them become our governors, congressman, senators, and even our Secretary of Commerce, but when it comes down to letting them run for the prized presidency (or even the not-so-respected vice presidency) we draw the line.
But, why? Are we scared of letting a “foreigner” become Head of State? Or have we simply forgotten about this law from the past? Something tells me that it is more than likely a combination of the two.
It is time to open up this public office to all of those who have made the effort to become part of our great nation. These “foreigners” who have naturalized themselves are humans in every regard we are. They feel, think, and live in much the same way we do. They have the ability and capability to lead our nation into greatness and prosperity, so why deny them the opportunity? Are we so fearful that we are willing to put our prosperity at stake?
As a country based on the principle of freedom, I adamantly believe that we must open the doors to those who have become Americans so that they may have a fighting chance.
For more than 200 years, we have been denying honest, hardworking citizens from being able to make a difference simply because an oppressing law was passed centuries ago to forbid a despised man from becoming our leader. It is time to end this hypocritical nonsense and enter a new stage in our history in which we embrace all people and give everyone a fighting chance. After all, isn’t that the least we can do for our people? Give them the opportunity to make a difference in our world.
