The Oath of Office & Political Action

When I reported for basic training at the Air Force Academy I took the UNIFORMED MILITARY OATH OF OFFICE. I took that oath, again, when I was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Air Force. All servicemen and women take a similar oath, as do members of Congress. The words are nearly identical:

I, [name], do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.

As a military man, with that oath in mind, I put my efforts into defending my country from the enemies that sought to do us harm or destroy us. I spent my career focusing those efforts on the Soviet threat, the War on Terror and other enemies of the time. Members of the military were not supposed to be political. Although I kept track of politics, I was primarily interested in how it related to our national security and defense. I guess my philosophy was that I would protect my country from outside threats, and the people (civilians) would keep their eyes on the domestic scene and the politicians. I have been retired from the military for some time, now. Though I still keep my eyes on critical issues related to our national security and defense, domestic issues and politics have increasingly captured my attention and concern.

Our founders were very wary of too much power in the hands of the Federal Government, and they carefully crafted our Constitution to minimize the Federal Government’s interference in the daily lives of its citizens. After all, this country was born out of overtaxing and excessive interference by Great Britain. In fact, the 10th Amendment, part of the Bill of Rights, states “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” It appears, however, the Obama Administration has not honored this. With the financial crisis as justification, the Obama administration began to eliminate Free Enterprise. This country thrived and became the envy of the world through Free Enterprise. This principle harnessed and accelerated the entrepreneurial spirit of individuals by allowing them to reap the benefits and prosper as a result of their ideas and initiative WITH MINIMAL INTERFERENCE FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

Despite public outcry, the Obama Administration interfered in the marketplace when it “bailed out” the financial industry. It, then, went on to bail out the auto industry. In the process, the Obama Administration effectively nationalized both industries! We, now, have a government that controls, both, the financial and auto industries. And it hasn’t stopped. Now, despite public outcry, the Obama Administration is trying to nationalize the nation’s healthcare system! And let’s not forget the Administration’s plan to redistribute wealth from the wealthy to those who don’t even pay taxes. Ladies and Gentlemen, that is SOCIALISM! And along the way the Obama Administration is bankrupting this country by increasing our National Debt by trillions of dollars.

What concerns me most is the way the Obama Administration is going about accomplishing its agenda. IT HAS THROWN OUT OUR CONSTITUTION! In the process, the Obama Administration has ignored the will of the people and given itself powers not enumerated in the Constitution, violating the 10th Amendment. Additionally, the Obama Administration, along with the liberal left, is attacking our First Amendment Freedom of Speech by intimidating, vilifying and threatening anyone who disagrees with their agenda. They are encouraging citizens to report fellow citizens who make statements contrary to their agenda. These kinds of STRONG ARM tactics were the tools of the most repressive, ruthless, totalitarian dictators in history, like Hitler, Stalin and Mussolini! And, at the same time, the Obama Administration is trying to take away our Second Amendment right to bear arms. So, in six short months since the Obama administration has been in office, it has attacked three items of our Bill of Rights! You are probably asking, “What does this have to do with the Oath of Office?”

Today, as I was eating lunch, the words of the oath I took many years ago came back to me. “I…do solemnly swear to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign AND DOMESTIC…” I have an obligation to defend my country from any enemies that would harm the Constitution! Of course, I’m not advocating violence or revolution. But I believe I have a solemn duty to involve myself in any way I can to stop those that would harm the Constitution. That includes the Obama Administration and anyone or any group that would do harm to the Constitution.

I know many of my blog readers are military and ex-military. I submit to you we need to involve ourselves in any way we can to honor the solemn oath we took to “support and defend the Constitution”. MAKE NO MISTAKE: WE ARE UNDER ATTACK! This enemy is “within”. But it is as surely an enemy as is Al Qaeda. It is a “domestic” enemy. Whether it is an op ed in a blog or a newspaper, writing an elected official or attending a meeting, we all have a solemn duty to involve ourselves. If you are not military, you have the same obligation. The Oath of Citizenship states the same words, “…I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic…”

So, if you are an American, I challenge you. Involve yourself. This is your call to action.