Nuclear-tipped Words

The other fact that those same protectors of our national reputation may not fathom is that I understand exactly what I swore to defend when I held up my hand and asked God to be my witness. “I swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States of America against all enemies, both foreign and domestic”, was the oath I gave on that day back in 1975.

We should remember that this is essentially the same oath required of the President by no less than that same Constitution upon assumption of his high office. My point is that our forefather’s were careful to set the precedent that our highest allegiance is to be given to an ideal and not any particular person, party, or policy.

The accusation that wounds me the most is that if I do not support this war then I am not supporting our troops. First, as I have already stated, I was a soldier and have a bond with our troops that few other people that have not served would ever really understand. But, even more importantly, this type of argument is one of the worst abuses of logic ever used. How does it follow that I am not supporting the troops if I say that the war was never justified in the first place and that we need to end it and bring the troops home? By bringing them home, we will stop them from being killed or maimed in a war that is not justified and may actually be one for which there is no foreseeable victory. This would be the ultimate “support for the troops” not to mention their families and friends at home.

Now, on the other hand, if the study groups and the intelligence community are aware of evidence that would indicate that pulling our troops out would result in such a catastrophic destabilizing effect in an area of the world vital to our national interests (read that as oil) that we cannot afford to leave the field of battle; then let them make this part of the public debate. Then, mobilize the nation for war and make a national commitment to all out victory. For that matter, raise the age of enlistment-I still remember how to Breathe-Relax-Aim-Squeeze.

Otherwise, it may be time to heed the words of the man recognized as the Son of God by Christians and recognized as a major prophet by Islam: “What king, going to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and take counsel whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him that comes against him with twenty thousand?”

In either case, we all need to remember that one of the precious freedoms that our gallant men and women in the military are charged with protecting (as well as the President) is the freedom to dissent and to state our opinions. Our republic is built on the bedrock of open and free debate. Perhaps we should also remember that our republic was borne in open revolt to the “legal” authority. In 1776, our forefathers were the insurgents and rebels.

And most of all, let us remember that we owe no allegiance to any person, party or policy but to a document that embodies the ideals of our republic and is enshrined as the basic law of the land. If we forget that, then words like patriotism and freedom no longer have any meaning.