A Grateful American here.
The Supreme Court’s ruling yesterday rewrote the Fourteenth Amendment in plain sight. They collapsed “subject to the jurisdiction thereof” into simple presence on the soil. Birth here equals citizenship, they said — even for children of illegal entrants or birth tourists. No real allegiance required. No vetting of character. Just show up and give birth.
That decision ignores the two clear requirements in the text. It ignores the original intent after the Civil War. And it cheapens the citizenship so many of us fought to earn the right way.
But here is the good news: Congress can fix this.
Justice Kavanaugh made the point clearly in his separate writing. The President’s executive order went too far, but Congress has the power under Section 5 of the Fourteenth Amendment to enforce and clarify the meaning of that clause. Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz has been saying the same thing: this is Congress’s lane. They can define what “subject to the jurisdiction thereof” actually means in line with the framers’ understanding — full political allegiance and real ties, not mere physical presence.
A clean statute would do this:
• Require at least one parent to be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident.
• Grandfather in every person already born under the old rule — no one loses their citizenship.
• Apply the new standard only to future births.
This is not rewriting the Constitution. It is Congress doing its job — clarifying ambiguous language the way the elected representatives of the people are supposed to. It removes the circular logic the Court embraced and honors the limited purpose of the Fourteenth Amendment: securing citizenship for those who had no other home and owed no foreign allegiance after the horrors of slavery.
Most importantly, this forces everyone to pick a side in public. No more euphemisms. No more hiding behind “the Court said so” or vague platitudes about compassion. Politicians will have to vote plainly: Are you for sovereignty and deliberate membership in the American political family, or do you support automatic citizenship as a reward for breaking our laws?
That kind of clarity is what we need. Heated, honest debate — even when it strains family tables and friendships — is far better than pretending everything is fine. Americans have good sense. We know when something is wrong. We have corrected course before through the proper process, and we can do it again.
Be wary of those who seek power in the name of virtue. Look instead for leaders who defend your freedom to fail — and your freedom to rise again through grit, accountability, and allegiance. That spine is what built this country.
Congress, do your job. Clarify the rule. Let the people see exactly where everyone stands. No more games.
LIVE GRATEFUL 🇺🇸
It starts in The Spine NOT on your Knees.
– A Grateful American
Grateful Immigrant 