Veterans Day and a reminder

With another Veteran’s Day upon us, it is always good to pause and to review why we serve.

Below are the words of our Declaration of Independence. It provides the reason for the American Revolution, and it makes it clear that Americans would not stand for any form of despotic government “ruling” over them. American politicians do not “rule,” they serve.

The Declaration of Independence was and is one of the most radical documents in history. While in every other nation in the world, governments ruled over people, the Declaration stood that philosophy on its head. The Declaration pointed out that man’s rights do not come from government. Instead, rights exist independently of government. If government ceases to exist in a society, people’s rights do not cease to exist, because their rights preexist government. Here are the words of our Declaration:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. --That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That 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, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

Eleven years after the Declaration of Independence was written, our Founders signed the Constitution, a document that each of us is sworn to defend. Our oath of office states:

" I, (name), 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.''

While the Declaration declares that “We the People” create our government, the Constitution purposefully limits our government to ensure that our government representatives never become the ruling class. The Constitution can be read here: http://www.usconstitution.net/const.html. As European countries have turned over their freedoms to unelected international committees, it is important that we understand the uniqueness of OUR Constitution and OUR way of life. We are free citizens of the United States, not subjects of a greater world order.

As many of us serve our country abroad, it is vital that we always remember that we also serve that Constitution at home. Hundreds of thousands of American service men and women have died, and hundreds of thousands more have fought, to defend the principles in our founding document. The day that we forget our oath is the day that all of that sacrifice will have been in vain.

Thank you to all who have ever served in the US military.