The Oath

When people become U.S. Citizens, they take this oath:


I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the armed forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God.


When people enlist in the active military service, they take this oath:


I, (NAME), do solemnly swear (or affirm) 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; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.


When people become police officers, they take an oath something like this:

I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support the Constitution

of the United States and the constitution of this state, and that I will faithfully discharge the duties of the office of ______ according to the best of my ability...

When I became an attorney (and every state requires a similar one), I took this oath:

I solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Colorado, and that I will faithfully discharge the duties of an attorney and counsellor at law to the best of my knowledge and ability.

Many readers of this have probably never taken any of these oaths, but if you are a citizen of the U.S., you should consider whether you are ethically bound to any less standard than someone who moves here from another country.  I'd say no.

Notice that none of these oaths say that they will do so, unless Congress passes a law to the contrary, or unless it will get me fired, or unless anything.  

It's time that all of us live up to our oath, actual or assumed, and defend our Constitution from its enemies.  Right now, most of its important enemies are in Washington DC.    

It's way past time, folks.