In response to Shirley White’s “Birther Sideshow” letter, I say this: The fact of whether or not President Barack Obama was born in the USA is an extremely vital fact, which should not have been hidden from the American people.

He should have had to provide proof of his American birth prior to being allowed to run for president. Why? Because Article II, Clause 5 of the United States Constitution reads, “No person except a natural born citizen, or a citizen of the United States, at the time of the adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States.”

So when you say, “The possibility that voters would even consider this subject as they choose their leaders is both ludicrous and frightening” that frightens me and clearly exemplifies how we, America, got into the current situation we are in, by naïve people like yourself voting for this president.

No matter your political affiliation, Republican or Democrat, you cannot ignore the facts, and the fact is no matter how we got into the current economic debacle, we are there. Stop blaming Bush, he is not in office anymore.

There is no doubt that Obama “inherited” a messed-up situation, but it is clear to any reasonable person that he has done nothing to correct it, but rather has taken steps to worsen the economic situation.

You use the analogy, “A family who has lost everything in a tornado does not waste time wondering where the storm came from or blaming the builder of their house.” So I invite you take your own medicine and stop blaming the previous administration (the builder you used in your analogy) for the ongoing problems we face in this country, (the tornado used in your analogy).

I am not saying Bush was good and Obama is bad, both have contributed to the situation we are in, but the latter has done nothing to reverse the ongoing crisis, but rather has exponentially increased the problems we face.

Jeremy Stokes

Vicksburg