PostHeaderIcon The Extent Of An Oath

Upon my induction into the United States Air Force, way back in the early 1960’s, I took a solemn oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States of America.

Since that time, it has been my position that this was and is an oath without an expiration date; that I was still bound by that oath, long after being discharged from active duty.

This brings me to the question of the day… is such an oath to be permanent and unconditional, come what may? I think the obvious answer is no. Let me explain why.

In its very essence, the Constitution of the United States of America is just another contract. In this case, a contract (or compact) between the several states and the people on one side and a federal government on the other. In so many simple words, the states and the people agreed to voluntarily surrender a part of their sovereign power to a federal government in return for the provision of specific beneficial services from that government along with its solemn pledge to stay within the confines of the contract.

Persons who take an oath to fulfill a contract (such as that which all members of the military take) have an obligation to keep that oath ONLY to the extent that the contract in question remains valid.

I love our Constitution and I think it one of the most brilliant works of humanity. Yet, the true founding document, the one that described what we were about, the one that established our destiny, is the Declaration of Independence. Please allow me to quote directly from that document:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, DERIVING THEIR JUST POWERS FROM THE CONSENT OF THE GOVERNED (emphasis added by me) — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.”

For months now, national polls by a number of reputable polling organizations, clearly indicate that the government now sitting in Washington D.C. no longer operates with “the consent of the governed”.

I respectfully submit that, because of this withdrawal of consent, the compact between the federal government, the states and the people, in the form of our Constitution, has been broken and that the federal government authorized by that Constitution is no longer valid. Its continued existence should be viewed as a usurpation of the sovereign power of the states and the people and the states and the people owe it to themselves to react accordingly.

For my own part, I no longer recognize a legitimize federal government in this nation – although I realize I am still subject to police action by the usurpers. From this day until a new compact might be made, I am a citizen of the Great State of Texas and I recognize no higher authority.

Should the Constitution of the United States of America once again become the accepted law of the land, then my oath is renewed. Until then, it is suspended.

I humbly ask that other of you might consider adopting a similar position.

Troy L Robinson

9 Responses to “The Extent Of An Oath”

  • chewin'mule says:

    “The United States Oath of Allegiance (officially referred to as the “Oath of Allegiance,” 8 C.F.R. Part 337 (2008)) is an oath that must be taken by all immigrants who wish to become United States citizens. The first officially recorded Oaths of Allegiance were made on May 30, 1778 at Valley Forge, during the Revolutionary War.”

    The current oath is as follows:

    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.[1]
    Note: If you provide enough evidence that your religious training and beliefs prevent you from saying certain language within the Oath of Allegiance, see the link to the right for instructions for taking a modified oath in Chapter 5 of A Guide to Naturalization.

    Troy, I took that very same oath you took in 1962. Food for thought; I maintain when you are born of citizen parents in this country, you are a “natural born citizen”(Emmerich Vattel; “Law of Nations”), and by birth right have taken/assumed the responsibilities of that oath! The question of citizenship falls to the lawful and “faithful allegiance” to that “oath of citizenship”. Those who enter under conditions other than “lawful” never take this oath. Begs the pertinent question; Can anyone cite the oath taken by those who follow Islam under Shariah Law…. someone…..anyone….anyone…..Buellar….Buellar?

  • Troy says:

    Mr (Ms?) Mule,
    Thanks for the comment. As for “Can anyone cite the oath taken by those who follow Islam under Shariah Law….” this is precisely the reasoning that prompted Herman Cain to say that he would vet Muslim candidates for positions in a Cain administration more closely than non-Muslims.

    Although Mr Cain was pressured into apologizing for this statement, I agree with it completely as I agree with yours.

    BTW, exactly what do you chew?

    Troy

    • chewin'mule says:

      When a mule is chewin’ he’s in a “relaxed cogitatin’ mode…….thinkin’.

      • chewin'mule says:

        Oh yeah, forgot to add this. Most males are sterile. I’m pretty sure that’s nature’s way of telling us; “You shouldn’t have bred that horse to that donkey.” Rarely does a female mule give birth. I’m an Ol’ retired SCPO(SS) 66 year old Mister Mule. In this case on the issue of sex; “‘Hit don’t make no difernce”

      • Hey, I was pretty close! Did you see my guess in my reply to your comment on my “About” page?

        “A stubborn old cuss, who likes to chew a mite before swallowing nonsense.” 🙂

  • I have always been a citizen of my state first as originally intended. Also, I don’t pledge to the flag anymore, but to the Constitution.

    http://freenorthcarolina.blogspot.com/2011/07/new-pledge-of-allegiance.html

  • Good topic, Troy; and great comments. I was immediately reminded of my own confusion between my country and the government many years ago. I discussed in on our long defunct old forum here:

    http://thoughtsaloud.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=23

    I was shocked that this post was made over four years ago. Actually, as I recall now, that was the beginning of a battle with the young anarchist named Bill, who as I recall, is the only one I have ever had to ban from posting on this site. He turned out to be a real piece of work. 🙂

  • Daedalus says:

    When one swears an oath to do something, what is the purpose of it?
    The presenter of the oath obviously expects to exact some form of behaviour from the swearer. No oath, however, is a “blank check” on the swearer. Important is the understanding the swearer has of the content of the oath. It may not be the same as the presenter has in mind. When it comes to our nation, I agree with Troy, the Declaration of Independence comes closer to my thoughts of allegiance. I will never swear any oath with the thought of blind allegiance in my understanding of it. That is contrary to rational thought.

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