In the midst of a dying economy, an
overwhelming debt designed to enslave our children, a mounting welfare state
with a socialistic response, and a rapidly emerging authoritarian government
strangling civil liberties, stands the Oath Keepers.
Oath Keepers are a non-partisan
association of currently serving military, reservists, National Guardsmen,
veterans, Peace Officers, and Fire Fighters who remember their oaths. They
swore to defend the Constitution against all enemies, both foreign and
domestic, with the help of God, and they stand in the way of tyranny.
Their oath was not to government, or
any political party, not even the Commander in Chief, but to the Constitution
of the United States of America. It is the tradition of the U.S. Military to be
apolitical, and now that our constitution is threatened from elements inside of
our own government, any unlawful and immoral order must not, and will not be
followed. Oath Keepers are the guardians of our Republic, the United States of
America.
Principles of Our Republic Oath
Keepers Are Sworn to Defend
As defenders of the Republic and
guardians of the rights of the people, we affirm the timeless, self-evident
truths set forth in our Declaration of Independence, which are at the very
heart of our Republic:
1. All men are created equal and
endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights. People are born with
natural rights that come from nature and nature’s God, not from government.
2. To secure these rights,
Governments are instituted among Men. Rights come first, and then comes
government, not the other way around. Government is merely the creation of the
people. The only legitimate purpose of government is to protect our rights.
3. Governments derive their just
powers from the consent of the governed. Governments have no inherent or
intrinsic powers – only those granted by the people. When governments claim
powers never granted, such government is illegitimate.
4. 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. When the government violates the
people’s rights, it violates its only legitimate purpose and voids the compact
by which the people created that government. The people retain the right to
decide when that has happened, and retain the right to throw off such
oppressive government, just as our forefathers did in the American Revolution.
5. Governments long established
should not be changed for light and transient causes. And that is why the
American people have continued to try and work within the system despite a
relentless, sustained assault on their rights.
6. But when a long train of abuses
and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce
them under absolute Despotism …. Among the abuses and usurpations were: [the
national government] “declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for
us in all cases whatsoever,” erecting “a multitude of New Offices,” and sending
“swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance”; Denial
of jury trial, with trial instead by admiralty courts (military tribunals);
warrantless searches (the writs of assistance); confiscation of property;
Imposition of martial law – the suspension of legislatures and the appointment
of a general to rule the people, rendering “the Military independent of and
superior to the Civil Power.”
The final spark of Revolution was an
attempt to disarm the people
during martial law, which was an act of war against the people.
during martial law, which was an act of war against the people.
The parallels to our time are obvious
and ominous.
7. … it is their right, it is their
duty, to throw off such Government. Again, the people themselves will determine
when that point has been reached. We cannot expect the national government’s
own courts to approve of that decision by the people. Every dictator throughout
history, be it Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, or Pinochet, twisted
and perverted the law and the courts into a weapon against the people. In our
own history, every oppressive act of Parliament and the King in the years
leading up to the Revolution were upheld by the English courts. But that was
not the end of the argument.
The same is true today.
A note from Stewart Rhodes, founder
and President of Oath Keepers:
After the Revolution, those
principles were again affirmed and made part of our Constitution by the
adoption of the Bill of Rights.
When you read the Bill of Rights,
remember that each and every one of those amendments was in response to the
Founding Generation’s experience with government tyranny, and were intended to
prevent such tyranny from happening again. The Bill of Rights thus tracks
nearly exactly the causes of Revolution listed in the Declaration of
Independence.
In particular, pay close attention
to the Ninth and Tenth Amendments, which affirm the natural rights and
sovereignty of the people, and which provide a guide to constitutional
interpretation, as I will further explain in an upcoming post.
Each of you must remind yourself of
those hard learned lessons, renew your understanding of the principles of
American liberty, and how those principles are reflected in the Constitution
and Bill of Rights you swore an oath to defend.
And then you must search your soul
and arrive at your own personal line in the sand.
Oath Keepers - "Not on Our Watch!"
Oath Keepers - "Not on Our Watch!"
About Oath Keepers:
Oath Keepers is an association of currently serving military, veterans, and peace officers who will fulfill the oath we swore to support and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic, so help us God.
Oath Keepers is an association of currently serving military, veterans, and peace officers who will fulfill the oath we swore to support and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic, so help us God.
Our oath is to the Constitution, not
to the President, and we will not obey unconstitutional (and thus illegal) and
immoral orders, such as orders to disarm the American people or to place them
under martial law and deprive them of their ancient right to jury trial.
We Oath Keepers have drawn a line in
the sand. We will not “just follow orders."
Our motto is “Not on our watch!”
If you, the American people, are
forced to once again fight for your liberty in another American Revolution, you
will not be alone. We will stand with you.
There is at this time a debate
within the ranks of the military regarding their oath. Some mistakenly believe
they must follow any order the President issues. But you can rest assured that
many others in the military do understand that their loyalty is to the
Constitution, and understand what that means.
The mission of Oath Keepers is to
vastly increase their numbers. We are in a battle for the hearts and minds of
our own troops. To win that battle, Oath Keepers will use written and video
testimony of active duty military, veterans (especially combat vets), and peace
officers to reach, teach, and inspire our brothers in arms in the military and
police to fulfill their oaths and stand as guardians of the Republic.
If you are currently in the
military, are a veteran, or are a peace officer, please submit your written
and/or video testimony on your oath, so you can help us win that battle for
hearts and minds. Your submission may be anonymous.
Guardians of the Republic, fulfill
your oath. Join us.
Go to http://oath-keepers.blogspot.com/
Go to http://oath-keepers.blogspot.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment