FFQF: Oath of Office
October 24, 2008 by Mrs. Mecomber
Filed under FFQF
See what’s up with today’s FFQF at Meet the Founders blog
The theme for this month has been “Virtue.” The FFQF group has really done well with the theme this week; I’ve really enjoyed reading the quotes and the posts about them. Most of the posts have concerned private virtue, that is, moral virtue. Since the presidential election is so near, I decided to do something different and mention about the virtue of the oath of office, particularly of the presidential oath of office. This is the oath required in the Constitution that the president is to make:
US Constitution, Article II, Section 1
Before he enter on the execution of his office, he shall take the following oath or affirmation: “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
The phrase “So help me, God” was added by George Washington (he also kissed the Bible), in deference to Providence that had helped the patriots win the fight for liberty.
In reading the news and hearing so many campaign promises from various candidates for president, very little is mentioned of the oath of office the president will take. This oath does not concern national health care (unconstitutional), income taxation fluctuations (unconstitutional), the “war” in Iraq (unconstitutional), “exporting democracy” (unconstitutional), and bailing out financial institutions (unconstitutional).
If, for instance, the president is required to do any act, he is not only authorized, but required, to decide for himself, whether, consistently with his constitutional duties, he can do the act.
Joseph Story, Commentaries on the Constitution, 1833
I sure wish our leaders would stick to their oaths. The office of the president is to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, not to eradicate the states’ sovereignty or dole out public largess at the slightest oinking.
When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29:2
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akaGaGa on Fri, 24th Oct 2008 3:56 pm
Well done, Mrs. M. Ron Paul occasionally chides our congress about the oath of office, but I’m afraid “oath” has no meaning in our culture today. In today’s Newspeak, “let your yes be yes, and your no be no” has become “tell ‘em what they want to hear.”
Hercules Mulligan on Fri, 24th Oct 2008 4:01 pm
Great selections, Mrs. M, and great subject. Your post reminds me of Washington’s presidential warning: “Let it simply be asked: Where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths which are the instruments of investigation in courts of justice? And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion.”
Thanks for participating. Happy FFQF!
Eryn on Sat, 25th Oct 2008 3:34 am
This is really a great feature.
Isn’t it funny how people choose to read what they want into their oaths?
You can’t please everyone, but I just wish they would stick to the ground rules that the people set in front of them.