| Oath Keepers is a non-partisan association of | | | | do we ask any man's permission when we ask him |
| currently serving military, veterans, and peace | | | | to obey it." |
| officers who will fulfill their sworn oath to "support | | | | ~President Theodore Roosevelt |
| and defend the Constitution against all enemies, | | | | Every President of the United States must take the |
| foreign and domestic, so help me God." | | | | following oath of office as set forth in the US |
| I recently learned about Stewart Rhodes, a | | | | Constitution, Article II, Section 1: |
| Yale-educated lawyer. Stewart served on the staff | | | | "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully |
| of Texas Congressman Ron Paul until after the 2008 | | | | execute the office of President of the United States, |
| elections. While he was there, he formed a new idea. | | | | and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect |
| Seeing the fast encroaching totalitarianism infecting | | | | and defend the Constitution of the United States." |
| the Federal Government, he correctly concluded that | | | | Any President that commits an act subverting the |
| without willing and compliant military, combined with | | | | Constitution commits treason against the Constitution. |
| local law enforcement personnel, the tyrants among | | | | Can you count the number of acts committed by the |
| us could not subjugate the American populace. | | | | last six Presidents? The number would stagger the |
| So, Stewart founded Oath Keepers. | | | | memory of your calculator. |
| There is a debate within the ranks of the military | | | | Under Article 4, Section 4, the Federal Government |
| regarding their oath. Some mistakenly believe they | | | | must defend the states against invasion: |
| must follow any order the President issues. But many | | | | "The United States shall guarantee to every State in |
| others do understand that their loyalty is to the | | | | this Union a Republican Form of Government, and |
| Constitution and to the people, and understand what | | | | shall protect each of them against Invasion; and on |
| that means. | | | | Application of the Legislature, or of the Executive |
| Their oath is to the Constitution, not to the | | | | (when the Legislature cannot be convened) against |
| politicians, and not to any political party. In the | | | | domestic Violence." |
| long-standing tradition of the U.S. military, they are | | | | There is a deep debate today in America on Article |
| apolitical. They don't care if unlawful orders come | | | | 4. Many today believe that the Federal Government |
| from a Democrat or a Republican, or if the violation is | | | | may take unconstitutional measures to |
| bi-partisan. They will not obey unconstitutional (and | | | | "protect...against invasion...and against domestic |
| thus unlawful) and immoral orders, such as orders to | | | | violence." So, now we have the Patriot Act and the |
| disarm the American people or to place them under | | | | Department of Homeland Security. Oath Keepers |
| martial law. They won't "just follow orders." Their | | | | believe in the rule of law. |
| motto: "Not on Our Watch!" or to put it even more | | | | Any law or regulation that undermines the Oath of |
| succinctly, in the words of Lt. General Harry Kinnard, | | | | Office or the duty of the Federal Government under |
| in response to a WWII German order to surrender, | | | | Article 4 shall be considered unconstitutional and each |
| "NUTS!" | | | | person has a duty to ignore that law. |
| There are thousands of active duty and veteran | | | | "The clearest way to show what the rule of law |
| military joining Oath Keepers, as well as active duty | | | | means to us in everyday life is to recall what has |
| and retired law enforcement officers. | | | | happened when there is no rule of law." |
| Each person entering the US military swears this oath: | | | | ~ President Dwight David Eisenhower |
| "I, _, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support | | | | Allow me to compare today's American political reality |
| and defend the Constitution of the United States | | | | with J.R.R. Tolkein's stories of the Kingdom of Middle |
| against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will | | | | Earth. |
| bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I | | | | Washington DC is Mordor, the very center of evil. |
| will obey the orders of the President of the United | | | | Sauron, the all-seeing eye, is the Federal Government. |
| States and the orders of the officers appointed over | | | | Sauron seeks to rule the world. But, recently, the |
| me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of | | | | gaze of the all-seeing eye has been turned inward on |
| Military Justice. So help me God." | | | | Middle Earth. He seeks out those who he considers a |
| (Title 10, US Code: Act of 5 May 1960 replacing the | | | | threat to his power. The only way that Sauron can |
| wording first adopted in 1789, with amendment | | | | conquer Middle Earth is to send forth his army of |
| effective 5 October 1962). | | | | Orcs. Orcs are often portrayed as beings with brutal, |
| Many law enforcement personnel also take an oath | | | | warmongering tendencies, although in some instances |
| much like the military oath. | | | | are described as a proud warrior race with a strong |
| Notice that, above all, the oath-taker swears to | | | | sense of honor. |
| support and defend the Constitution of the United | | | | That description of Orcs accurately describes some |
| States. He swears true faith and allegiance to the | | | | of today's military and law enforcement communities. |
| Constitution, not the Commander-in-Chief. Only after | | | | There are many that will obey Sauron's orders, and |
| that affirmation does the oath to obey orders of the | | | | try to subjugate American citizens. But if the military |
| President and superior officers appear in the body of | | | | and law enforcement rise up and refuse to obey |
| the oath. A soldier who obeys an order that violates | | | | unlawful orders, the ability of Sauron to conquer will |
| the Constitution commits treason against the | | | | be diminished and could evaporate. |
| Constitution. An officer who issues a direct order that | | | | Oath Keepers speak directly to those members of |
| violates the Constitution issues an unlawful order, and | | | | the military and law enforcement that still have a |
| the order should be ignored. | | | | conscience. They are having remarkable success with |
| I submit to you that a soldier that understands the | | | | military and law enforcement veterans and retirees, |
| depth of his oath cannot lawfully and constitutionally | | | | since those individuals are free of the orders of |
| follow the orders to deploy to an undeclared war | | | | superiors. However, there are many that are still on |
| anywhere in the world. Nor could he obey an order | | | | active duty that must protect their identities against |
| that would violate the rights of an American citizen. | | | | persecution and/or termination. Still, those secret |
| Soldiers who truly understood their oath have a duty | | | | Oath Keepers exist in growing numbers. |
| to disobey unlawful orders, even if it meant | | | | It is the military and law enforcement that can stand |
| prosecution under the Uniform Code of Military | | | | in between the citizen and the tyrant. Time will tell |
| Justice. | | | | just how many of them will stand for the rule of law |
| "No man is above the law and no man is below it: nor | | | | and forsake the rule of men. |