Foreign-born president? No way

In the Nov. 12 editorial about making naturalized citizens eligible for the presidency, you repeat the tired cliche that we’re a “nation of immigrants.” Nope. I was born in Chicago and have no other country to return to. The same is true for almost all of the people around me in Montana, and it was true for the large majority around me when I lived in Redondo Beach.

As a grandson of immigrants, I recognize that the United States draws newcomers because our founders established a civil society wherein ordinary citizens can lead rewarding lives, not because legions of prior immigrants left unpromising situations to come here. And even if immigration had dominated American history, this shouldn’t guide 21st century decisions now that our population exceeds the land’s carrying capacity.

PAUL NACHMAN

Bozeman, Mont.

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It is astonishing that The Times urges the country to spend the time and effort to draft, approve and ratify a constitutional amendment that would benefit a solitary, hypothetical person at some future date. Are there no more pressing issues facing the nation than the “unfair” rule that requires the president to have been born here? I would like to buy property on the coast of Mexico, own a condo in Switzerland and ship California wines to New York state, but I cannot. It’s also unfair that I’m not tall and blond, but it would be cheaper and less time-consuming to fix that than to amend the Constitution.

LISALEE WELLS

Long Beach

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I disagree with your contention that our Constitution should be changed to allow naturalized immigrants to be elected president. Allowing carpetbaggers like Hillary Rodham Clinton to move from state to state to find a political office that their financiers can afford is bad enough, but to allow our presidency to be sold to the highest bidders without the restriction that the candidates have the allegiance of being a natural-born citizen is un-American.

Our political leaders should have the sense of pride, belonging and responsibility that comes from being born in this country. The ethics of our politicians are poor enough without reducing their requirements for holding office.

CAROLE M. HARDER

Rancho Mirage