Bonnie Alba
Death of the oath and republic
By Bonnie Alba
"I swear ... to support and defend the Constitution of the United States ... so help me God."
Our President, Congress, and Supreme Court Justices do so solemnly swear upon entering their offices. The oath of government officials has become one of mere formality, nothing more. The Constitution is just an outdated document to most of them, holding no meaning or knowledge of the original intent of the founders.
There was a time when a man's word was as good as gold; a handshake meant a promise to be kept. Remember what we as children swore by: "Cross my heart and hope to die?" Did we believe we would die if we weren't telling the truth? Yet today's adults swear and make promises which they have no intention of upholding.
The Republic envisioned by our founding fathers has been scrapped; our Constitution has been dumped on, spit on, trampled beneath the calloused footpads of elected and appointed officials. It's not about labels of conservative or liberal, republican or democrat. The limitations on government have been arrogantly ignored and the Republic fails from lack of protest from the people — until now.
We the people are the other half of the equation of the failing Republic. From the 60s the cries of "freedom from responsibility" and "I'm a victim" have persuaded many citizens that Big Brother is Sugar Daddy — he'll take care of you from birth to death. Educationally dumbed down, several generations have been indoctrinated to expect the redistribution of wealth. Ignorant of their own nation's governing documents, the people compel government growth of social programs centralizing more power and control over we the peoples' lives.
In some courts, the oath is no longer used to swear in witnesses. Why? Because many Americans have rejected belief in God. Over 175 years ago, French historian Alexis de Tocqueville observed a court case in Chester County, New York. The witness declared he didn't believe in the existence of God or in the immortality of the soul. The judge refused to admit his evidence on the ground that the witness had destroyed beforehand all confidence of the court in what he was about to say. As reported in The New York Spectator," the presiding judge remarked, "...that he had not before been aware that there was a man living who did not believe in the existence of God; that this belief constituted the sanction of all testimony in a court of justice; and that he knew of no case in a Christian country where a witness had been permitted to testify without such belief."
That judge would be called intolerant by today's politically correct standards. Today the oath means nothing which leaves no way to judge the truth of any matter. According to moral relativism, there are no standards. In the same way the Constitution's truth has been treated, left with no standards. There is no accountability.
The U.S. Constitution, dusty and unread, sits in silence while the governing bodies go their own way and the people cede their liberty. Tocqueville also observed, "In the United States the sovereign authority is religious (Christianity)...," whereas in France he almost always saw, "...the spirit of religion and the spirit of freedom marching in opposite directions."
Such a small thing is an oath, but when taken, it defines the person who swears by the words — the promise. Is there still hope for our fading Republic? Is hope possible when oaths no longer hold to truth and the words "...so help me God" have no meaning to those swearing?
Belief in God, a future accounting for the lies and actions of today, heaven or hell, hangs just below the promise, the oath. When the people no longer believe in God, then the truth no longer exists in the peoples' minds, and the oath has no meaning and becomes unnecessary to public life.
We appear to be in a transitional period, having departed from Republic governance, now well into a Socialist Democracy, we are on the road to fascism. To quote Benjamin Franklin, "Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters."
Is there hope for a return to governance under the Constitution, to oaths under God? Saving the Republic? Is it possible to return to a government.... of the people, by the people, for the people?
There are signs; the people have awakened from their apathy. Let's hope it's not too late.
© Bonnie Alba
March 18, 2010
"I swear ... to support and defend the Constitution of the United States ... so help me God."
Our President, Congress, and Supreme Court Justices do so solemnly swear upon entering their offices. The oath of government officials has become one of mere formality, nothing more. The Constitution is just an outdated document to most of them, holding no meaning or knowledge of the original intent of the founders.
There was a time when a man's word was as good as gold; a handshake meant a promise to be kept. Remember what we as children swore by: "Cross my heart and hope to die?" Did we believe we would die if we weren't telling the truth? Yet today's adults swear and make promises which they have no intention of upholding.
The Republic envisioned by our founding fathers has been scrapped; our Constitution has been dumped on, spit on, trampled beneath the calloused footpads of elected and appointed officials. It's not about labels of conservative or liberal, republican or democrat. The limitations on government have been arrogantly ignored and the Republic fails from lack of protest from the people — until now.
We the people are the other half of the equation of the failing Republic. From the 60s the cries of "freedom from responsibility" and "I'm a victim" have persuaded many citizens that Big Brother is Sugar Daddy — he'll take care of you from birth to death. Educationally dumbed down, several generations have been indoctrinated to expect the redistribution of wealth. Ignorant of their own nation's governing documents, the people compel government growth of social programs centralizing more power and control over we the peoples' lives.
In some courts, the oath is no longer used to swear in witnesses. Why? Because many Americans have rejected belief in God. Over 175 years ago, French historian Alexis de Tocqueville observed a court case in Chester County, New York. The witness declared he didn't believe in the existence of God or in the immortality of the soul. The judge refused to admit his evidence on the ground that the witness had destroyed beforehand all confidence of the court in what he was about to say. As reported in The New York Spectator," the presiding judge remarked, "...that he had not before been aware that there was a man living who did not believe in the existence of God; that this belief constituted the sanction of all testimony in a court of justice; and that he knew of no case in a Christian country where a witness had been permitted to testify without such belief."
That judge would be called intolerant by today's politically correct standards. Today the oath means nothing which leaves no way to judge the truth of any matter. According to moral relativism, there are no standards. In the same way the Constitution's truth has been treated, left with no standards. There is no accountability.
The U.S. Constitution, dusty and unread, sits in silence while the governing bodies go their own way and the people cede their liberty. Tocqueville also observed, "In the United States the sovereign authority is religious (Christianity)...," whereas in France he almost always saw, "...the spirit of religion and the spirit of freedom marching in opposite directions."
Such a small thing is an oath, but when taken, it defines the person who swears by the words — the promise. Is there still hope for our fading Republic? Is hope possible when oaths no longer hold to truth and the words "...so help me God" have no meaning to those swearing?
Belief in God, a future accounting for the lies and actions of today, heaven or hell, hangs just below the promise, the oath. When the people no longer believe in God, then the truth no longer exists in the peoples' minds, and the oath has no meaning and becomes unnecessary to public life.
We appear to be in a transitional period, having departed from Republic governance, now well into a Socialist Democracy, we are on the road to fascism. To quote Benjamin Franklin, "Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters."
Is there hope for a return to governance under the Constitution, to oaths under God? Saving the Republic? Is it possible to return to a government.... of the people, by the people, for the people?
There are signs; the people have awakened from their apathy. Let's hope it's not too late.
© Bonnie Alba
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