Thursday, July 19, 2012

The Oath...



 If you're reading this and are one of the millions of U.S. military veterans welcome to my blog. As veterans we have the distinct honor of being the sworn guardians of American liberty and protectors of our constitutional form of government. Our numbers make us mighty, we are a force to be reckoned with - in times of both war and peace!

What is a Veteran?

A "Veteran" - whether active duty or discharged is someone who at one point in life signed a blank check, one payable to the United States of America for an amount of up to and including loss of life. Such an act is among the most selfless one can commit, it demonstrates a moral compass which reads true, exceptional character, and strength and commitment of will.

American veterans enjoy a well earned and deserved reputation, we have won the enduring respect of a grateful nation for our service, dedication, and the sacrifices made for it. From the start America has had a proud tradition of patriotism and experience of shared sacrifice by those of all walks of life - but are those days now just fond memory, having become imagery without substance?

All is not well in America, as citizens we've slept too long - and whether one is citizen, soldier, or both we can't rest on our laurels any longer. We cannot afford to base our nations self worth and collective identity on deeds from the past. In contemporary America the burden is now divided unequally, in many cases it has fallen wholly on the less fortunate. While the average citizen fights for a place at an ever shrinking economic table our adversaries enrich and aggrandize themselves at our expense - they rip and tear at Americas flesh as wolves do at the carcasses of prey.

The Founding Fathers wrote the original blank check, in signing the Declaration of Independence they pledged all, up to and including their lives - knowing if they failed all was forfeit. Although the signers were among the most well known, wealthiest, priviledged, well educated, and important men of the land with their signatures they became the same as the least of men - they pledged their lives, honor, and fortune to the cause of Liberty. In doing so they established the greatest nation the world has ever known. With victory in hand and peace made these patriots then blessed us with the most remarkable political documents ever written, our Constitution and Bill of Rights, the establishing documents of this nation which have served us well through the years.

Since September 1789 the Oath has expressed the primary mission of those who receive it - the promise to "support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic and bear true faith and allegiance to the same" - by reciting it we pledge our all, the same as the Founders. But considering the comparison one sees stark difference, once at peace rather than abandoning their contract the Founders doubled down on their bet, recognizing the merit of union between the citizen and state.
They created the branches and offices of government and required similar contracts for the assumption of a constitutionally mandated office. Now it seems that Americas veterans forget their oath after service ends, the discharge documents I recieved express no release other than expiration of the contracted period of time and being subject to orders of those with constitutionally mandated authority. In my opinion this suggests that unless one has renounced claim to citizenship the central obligation of the oath remains in effect.


Given the current state of our nation unless we veterans quickly organize, recommit ourselves, and honor our obligation to the republic it will soon be lost and be forever irretrievable. We must ensure the Oath again becomes the guiding principle of those who seek or hold public office, rather than being what Americas political class have reduced it to - a quaint notion they pay lip service to and then ignore until the next time they need it as a campaign prop.

We've become complacent, we've allowed ourselves to be distracted from the ideas and principles which made America the envy of all others and greatest of all nations, we've quit asking the questions which really matter, those with real bearing on our national interest and future. We've allowed ourselves to be distracted and sidetracked by futile arguments and irresolvable issues. These issues are used to divide us, to waste time and energy, when we engage in futile debate we lose sight of the truly critical problems we face and short ourselves of the time needed to resolve them.


Is it any wonder that Washington D.C. is dysfunctional given politicians disregard for and dismissal of sworn duty?

How many military members have been dishonorably discharged, sent to prison, or executed for dereliction of duty?

Why are politicians who swear the same oath seemingly exempt from penalty for blatent dereliction of duty and treason?

How many of Americas politicians now holding office volunteered or served in the U.S. military?

How many of their children have chosen to serve at least one term of service?

If I recall correctly currently very few (if any) children of Americas political elite are serving - and is it any wonder given the deplorable role models America's politicians have shown themselves to be? At this point Americas children can see through the clouds of hypocrisy and smell the stench of corruption emanating from Washington, if an honest person turned over every rock in D.C. they would be hard pressed to find even one politician worthy of high office or emulation. We all know this to be true, we just don't want to admit it! Because then we would feel the need to do something about it.


We excuse ourselves by expressing internally that we don't have the time, the resources, the power or standing to take on and correct the problem, we tell ourselves we aren't strong enough to go head to head with the miscreants who occupy office or the parasites they provide access and cover to - but all the time we're thinking such thoughts we're lying to ourselves, and deep down we know it.

The actions and majority of "laws" written by Americas political class since September 11, 2001 point to a bleak future for America. Look at the difference only a few generations can make, after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor Americans loudly proclaimed "we have nothing to fear but fear itself" - after 9/11 very few public figures were left standing for our traditional values and principles. After a few days those who had remained on their feet and held true were engulfed by the simple minded mantra that "9/11 changed everything" - they were quickly marginalized by those seeking to exploit our wounded nation and bend it to their will.

The gullible American public quickly bought into a dubious and widely disseminated narrative of events served with a side dish of inculcated fear, using these tactics we were quickly bent to the will of the usurpers. Unless we take quick, decisive, and appropriate counter measures those in office will continue to write and pass unconstitutional laws - acts that will reduce our republic to the lowest form of government, absolute despotism.


The clock is ticking...

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