Words Poorly Used #7 — Nation

Many people use the word “nation” interchangeably with “country,” “state,” or “government.”  This gives rise to confusion among those who are inhabitants of the latter three.  The origin of the word nation is in its use to identify a group of people of common birth experience.  An example would be the “Cherokee Nation.”  An example of misuse would be “national news.”  Part of the problem is that now some people in this country want to deny citizenship to people who were not born in the USA, which is more or less adequately addressed in laws of the state of the USA and in the laws of the states which comprise the USA.  As part of this structure, we define citizens primarily as those persons born in the USA.  But at the same time, we want to deny citizenship to some born in the USA if they are born of non-citizens.  It really gets confusing when we intermix the term “nation” in our deliberations.  Anyone of any parentage born in the USA is a member of the nation of USA inhabitants.  Our Federal Constitution is clear that persons born here are, by dint of that fact, citizens.  The only people who are natural citizens are those born here, all other citizens come via subordinate rules, mechanisms, and laws.  All governmental laws are attached to those who inhabit territories where those laws have been established.  There is no such thing as a law of a nation or as national law.

Kilgore