By Jeff Utsch |
I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.
In a handful of words, with only slight variations, elected leaders in the United States vow to, “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.”
What if the domestic enemy is staring back at you in the mirror.
Any elected officer seeking to promote a collectivist, socialist or communist ideology, should on principle, resign immediately. You cannot, at the same time, espouse these ideologies and keep the oath you have sworn to uphold.
I elaborate:
Domestic enemies of the Constitution include those who do not believe in the ideals protected by the Constitution or the Federal Republic which it creates.
Abraham Lincoln taught that the Constitution was created to protect the principles, ideals and values as set forth in the Declaration of Independence. The Constitution, thus, should be viewed as the “strong box” protecting the precious truths written by Thomas Jefferson and unveiled to the world on July 4, 1776.
Included in these truths are the following:
That “all men are created equal.”
American patriots still believe this to be true but if one has a Marxist belief system, he does not. Marxists believe that there are oppressors and the oppressed, perpetrators and victims.
If one falls into the oppressor or perpetrator class, as determined by them, then he/she is not to be treated equally but as a cancer to be eviscerated. This person is to be demonized, ridiculed and accused of nefarious deeds regardless of individual ideas, thoughts, and history.
And, of course, if everyone is treated equally, it means we will not have equal outcomes. That is not fair to communists.
So, “equity” — equality of outcome — becomes the new mantra. In 2021, it is this clamor, unnerving and morally debased, that needs to be called out and extinguished.
We must grasp that we cannot have a nation that is free and treats everyone equal and, simultaneously, one that promotes “equity.”
Next, the phrase, “that they are endowed by their creator.”
Stop right there. Marxists believe there is no God and, therefore, He cannot endow anyone with anything. The only endowing, in fact, is that performed by earthly mandates from those in power. Therefore, securing that power is justified by any means.
I offer, “with certain unalienable rights.”
Marxists do not believe in unalienable rights to individuals. This belief messes up governments’ ability to do what they thinks is best for the collective.
If individuals have unalienable rights, this automatically neutralizes the power of a centralized authority.
I offer, “that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
Each one of these flies in the face of Marxism. To them, your life is not your own, liberty is a hiss and byword as it can be used against the states’ interest, and one’s pursuit of happiness is not a concern. Your happiness may conflict with what government deems best for all.
Of course, control of private property is part of the, “liberty and pursuit of happiness,” claim in the Declaration as per Madison and Jefferson. But protection of private property is to be shunned by Marxists, as “equity” cannot be attained when people control what they produce or own.
I offer, “that to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men.”
“Heresy!”, is the cry of Marxists. Governments set up to protect individual rights as its primary function!? How do we get anything done with that? Surely, governments need to be set up to make life fair and equitable; to force people to do the right thing; and to comply with what we think is right. So, say communists.
Make no doubt, this is the big one.
Patriots still believe that protecting our liberty is government’s primary role while the enemies of liberty have other priorities. We have had many priorities subvert that of liberty of late. Let’s not forget what we allowed our governors to do under the guise of our safety this past year.
I offer, “deriving their just powers by the consent of the governed.”
Marxists believe that we cannot function and create a utopia that is “just and fair” to all with only limited powers delegated to government by the people.
Government must be the arbiters of its own power. The people know nothing of what is best for them. Limited powers delegated are too restrictive and will delay the work that needs to be done. Expediency and today’s exigencies are what is important and no parchment barrier, like the Constitution, should be allowed to get in the way of progress, they contend.
So, we see that Marxists of all shapes and sizes do not believe in the fundamental truths that all Americans used to believe in from birth. The American Creed, the second paragraph of the Declaration, was the vision we all embraced.
Today, we see this common belief is no longer embraced by all – but something to be scourged by the American Left.
And the same people that deride the ideals in the Declaration are attempting to destroy the document constructed to protect it.
The Constitution is a compact among the states that grants limited power to the federal government for a reason. These limitations of power inhibit the ability of authoritarians to do as they wish. Destroying these limitations is, in fact, a defection to Marxism.
Federalism, or the separation of powers between the national government, the states, and the people, is to be overcome by ignoring those inconvenient restrictions contained within the Constitution — and concentrating all political power in Washington, D.C.
Marxists also do not believe in the separation of powers between executive, legislative and judicial branches. All are to be used as tools to consolidate power and by any means necessary. Illegal executives-orders, legislating from the bench or creating laws through bureaucratic overreach are all legitimate tools, provided they further the cause.
The Bill of Rights? Nothing sacred here to Marxists.
Freedom of speech and the press should be curtailed for our own good. Only ”correct ideas,” approved by social media giants should be aired to public audiences. Freedom of religion is a privilege, not a right. Forget the 2nd Amendment. Due process, the taking of private property without compensation and Equal Protection Clause are all outdated and, in fact, impede what is needed today in order to make progress.
Arbitrary edicts and rule from on-high with few legislatures in-session or consulted about issues that deal with, “we, the people?”
Didn’t we fight a revolutionary war that dealt with lack of representation?
We have come so far.
Few of our elected officials openly endorse Marxism or Communism, but by looking at the policies they support, we know where their true allegiance lies, and it is not to the Constitution or the ideals it protects.
Jeff Utsch, of Tucson, AZ, is an instructor at the Leadership and Freedom center in Gettysburg PA and teaches on the Constitution around the nation. You can find published articles, podcasts, and commentary at www.jeffutsch.com. He can be reached at Jeff@jeffutsch.com
