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Posted on 04/20/2009 11:49:32 AM PDT by AmericanHunter
A new patriotic organization called “Oath Keepers” rallied on Massachusetts’ historic Lexington Green to renew their oaths to support and defend the U.S. Constitution April 19, the 234th anniversary of the revolutionary war battles of Lexington and Concord. The event was sponsored by the Committees of Safety, named for the groups of the same name that organized in colonial America during the beginning of the War for Independence.
The new organization of mostly current and former military, police, and emergency-service personnel pledged themselves to 10 resolutions to disobey any order to confiscate firearms from law-abiding citizens, assist in warrantless searches, or help to detain American citizens without a trial by jury. The organization drew 400 attendees to the event despite little advance publicity (only a YouTube video and an appearance on the Alex Jones radio show). The rally headlined Oath Keepers’ founder Stewart Rhodes, Walter Reddy of the Committees of Safety, and 29 Palms Survey author Lt. Commander Guy Cunningham.
“The only way a tyrannical government from the left or right can succeed is for active duty personnel to obey unlawful orders,” former Army paratrooper and Oath Keepers’ founder Rhodes told the crowd. “If you took an oath to defend the U.S. Constitution, you have a duty to disobey unlawful orders. When you took the oath, you lost the option to duck out.” Rhodes is also an attorney, Yale University graduate, SWAT magazine columnist, and former staffer for Congressman Ron Paul.
Rhodes stressed that although Oath Keepers’ supporters were about to renew their oaths to the Constitution, the American people did not get their rights from the Constitution. “Where do our rights come from? There was no Second Amendment in 1775,” he told the crowd. “The Bill of Rights protects our rights, it doesn’t grant them.”
The event began and ended with words from the six-foot-six “Patriot Pastor” Garrett Lear, who closed his opening remarks with a rousing call for “No king but Jesus!”
Dave Freeman, a retired policeman from Nevada, read and administered the 10 Oath Keepers’ resolutions to it new members, which included Richard Mack, the former sheriff who fought the Brady Bill all the way to the Supreme Court. Nearly all those in attendance renewed their oaths to limit government to the requirements of the U.S. Constitution.
Tom Moor of the Committees of Safety read a speech by constitutional scholar Edwin Viera (Viera was unable to attend as scheduled).
Organizations like Oath Keepers seem destined for dramatic growth as the Obama administration has targeted political conservatives and military veterans as potential violent terrorists under a new Department of Homeland Security report entitled Rightwing Extremism (pdf). And with the way the Obama administration is targeting the Constitution, the growth of organizations like Oath Keepers will be needed to preserve liberty.
These will be the guys to watch in the near future.
Fixed
Unfortunately I’m not one of those that have taken the oath.
You are exactly right. It is an oath for life and the key word of the day is “DOMESTIC” (Read: All enemies foreign and domestic.)
Ping
They, and the ex mil guys, need to step up now and start training their friends and neighbors some of what they were taught, and in the process form up their bubba networks.
Ping
BUMP! I’m going to hand a copy of the oath to a few local police officers to send up the chain of command. I play b’ball with the police chief of one nearby town; I’ll give him one too. The responses should be interesting.
I also sing in the choir with a retired LEO who now has a job with homeland security. He gets one as well.
This is the sort of organization which should have 75 million members. I’d certainly be among them.
I took the oath in ‘72 at Ft Holibird Md. It didn’t have an expiration date.
I wish there was something like this in Oregon.
BRAVO, SIR.
Acknowledging that orders can be unlawful means that you acknowledge the primacy of God and conscience over the arbitrary rule of the state.
Viva Cristo Rey!
Ron Paul bump.
Ping
You CAN join them. Go to their website and sign up if you wish.
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