Monday, October 27, 2008

Presidential Oath

In accordance with Article II, Section I of the US Constitution, each president recites the following oath:

I do solemnly swear 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.

For so many reasons, I am voting AGAINST Barack Obama. For the first time in my adult life, I am scared for what may happen to our country should he win the presidency next week. Mr. Obama has boldly declared that there are fundamental flaws to our Constitution. How, then, can he possibly state the above oath respectfully and with a straight face? For so many reasons, I am voting AGAINST Barack Obama. The two most prevalent reasons are: 1) his anti-American values (i.e.: belief in distribution of wealth) and 2) his desire to fundamentally change the U.S. Constitution.

I hope you will vote...not for the sake of history...but for the sake of our country. The following is a quote by Obama from a 2001 public radio interview in Chicago:

You know, if you look at the victories and failures of the civil-rights movement, and its litigation strategy in the court, I think where it succeeded was to vest formal rights in previously dispossessed peoples. So that I would now have the right to vote, I would now be able to sit at a lunch counter and order and as long as I could pay for it, I’d be okay, but the Supreme Court never entered into the issues of redistribution of wealth, and sort of more basic issues of political and economic justice in this society.

And uh, to that extent, as radical as I think people tried to characterize the Warren Court, it wasn’t that radical. It didn’t break free from the essential constraints that were placed by the Founding Fathers in the Constitution — at least as it’s been interpreted, and Warren Court interpreted it in the same way, that generally the Constitution is a charter of negative liberties: [It] says what the states can’t do to you, says what the federal government can’t do to you, but it doesn’t say what the federal government or the state government must do on your behalf.
And that hasn’t shifted, and one of the, I think, the tragedies of the civil-rights movement was because the civil-rights movement became so court-focused, uh, I think that there was a tendency to lose track of the political and community organizing and activities on the ground that are able to put together the actual coalitions of power through which you bring about redistributive change. And in some ways we still suffer from that.


And an audio clip:


Does this sound like he is going to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution? That is the most basic role as president. And I believe he intends to radically change that inspired document.

That concerns me.

5 comments:

Steph said...

Amen, vote against Obama!

Elaine said...

Double Amen and I'm really worried about this great land of ours. The powers of evil are at work. This IS the greatest land on earth and our Constitution IS an inspired document. We do not need to "break free from the essential constraints that were placed by the Founding Fathers in the Constitution." Those ESSENTIAL restraints are extremely immportant. They protect us--our freedoms and our liberty. Someone raise the Title of Liberty! The Book of Mormon is for OUR day!

tall dad said...

You are right on, David. Extremely thoughtful. Thanks for your boldness.

natalie said...

I'm not McCain's biggest fan but I will be casting my vote Against Obama tomorrow when I go to early voting. I just have to remind myself that what ever happens it all fits in to the Lords master plan.

Wendy said...

Always enjoy your insights.

The Lord set up this country, but it will only continue on as much as there are righteous peoples who stand up for what is right. There are going to be tough times ahead, of that there is no doubt. We have been told that if we are prepared, we shall not fear.

Obama, I think, will make a very negative difference on this country. His beliefs are not what this country was founded on. We need to stand up and do what is right.

Keep your perspective coming, David!