Guest Editorial
BY DR. SALVATORE A. RICOTTA | DECEMBER 1, 2010
Dear Mr. Morrison
I am sending this e-mail to you regarding the response I received 3 days ago from Senator Kyl. I mailed the letter to him in early November regarding the plight of Lt. Colonel Terrence Lakin.
I implore you to immediately redirect this entire email to Senator Kyl, as time is of the essence, and I am requesting answers to questions of utmost urgency and importance.
Dear Senator Kyl,
I am very concerned that you misdirected my inquiry about LTC Lakin to Colorado Senator, Udall. LTC Lakin originally was from Greeley, Colorado, but his current residency is the State of Tennessee.
His situation is not simply casework, such as a person who did not receive a social security check or some other lesser problem, and it should not have been forwarded to Senator Udall at all. The issue I am raising: LTC Lakin's pending court-martial has sweeping ramifications for the Constitution, and perceptions, both domestically and abroad, of the American Justice System and the integrity of the American Government under Barack Obama.
I am asking you, as your constituent and someone who voted for you - whether you believe LTC Lakin should face prison time at USP Leavenworth as a result of his court-martial trial which starts on December 14th, because he felt a duty to uphold his sworn oath as an officer - to uphold the U. S. Constitution? I am sure that as a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, you understand the hard clause in the constitution in Article II, Section 1 – the requirement that the President be a "natural born" citizen. I am aware that earlier, you told other constituents that since courts have rejected lawsuits (mostly based on standing and jurisdiction, NOT on the merits) – that we should "move on." Are you suggesting that we should abandon the "natural born" requirement of the Constitution – the supreme law of the land – and give Obama a pass??? You know how John McCain was badgered over his "natural born" status and that the Judiciary Committee voted to affirm his status in a non-binding resolution in April 2008. Can you PLEASE tell me why you and other members of the Judiciary Committee failed to raise at that time the issue of Obama's status - which to this day remains undetermined? Surely by now, you know that Barack Obama has NEVER produced an original birth record. Any records which should have been available concerning the background of this President – birth, school, passport, and college records – are sealed, right from his early life up to the present; his lawyers threatened citizens with ruinous financial sanctions for going to court to try to determine Obama's Constitutional eligibility, because our politicians and judges are shirking their duty to support and defend the Constitution and uphold the rule of law.
We the American people don't care who is embarrassed by this scandal, or what the consequences might be. We are a strong nation because we value and demand integrity, openness and the rule of law. Obama promised transparency ... to be a uniter, but all he has succeeded in doing is provoking this bitter and divisive controversy by hiding his records. True, it could well unravel his presidency, but that is far better than to let this cover-up continue, and for people to lie, manipulate and deceive because of it.
I want to know, Senator Kyl, what you think about LTC Lakin being denied due process by the Army and the Obama Administration - denied the basic right of discovery as a criminal defendant, i.e. no access to records which would prove his innocence. I want to know WHY you have not asked President Obama to produce his original long form birth certificate and prove his "natural born" status as McCain did ... or for that matter, all of his hidden records. It is a simple question - it's the same question LTC Lakin asked – and no one in the Army or on Capitol Hill (in his TN Congressional delegation) could answer it? WHY???
This is NOT acceptable. You are a distinguished lawyer; you serve on the Judiciary Committee ... and in fact you serve on the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution. My wife and I ask, "Where do you stand, Sir???"
A decorated officer faces prison imminently, while Obama's terrorism policy of trying terrorists in civilian court will mean detainees caught on the battlefield in Afghanistan may escape proper punishment. Senator Kyl, you NEED to ask these questions of Barack Obama ... the answers to which may very well keep LTC Lakin from an unjust conviction and hard time in USP Leavenworth.
We implore you – my friends, my family, and fellow Tea Party patriots – to speak up on behalf of LTC Lakin - to uphold the same oath of office that you took when you assumed your seat in the United States Senate. I anxiously await your response, and will gladly share your reply with others who are as keenly concerned about LTC Lakin's fate.
My wife and I intend, also, to be present at your next Town Hall meeting, to ask you these questions in person so all attendees can hear your response.
Sincerely,
Dr. Salvatore A. Ricotta
Scottsdale
IN GOD WE TRUST!
