Posted on 07/02/2012 11:26:31 AM PDT by jazusamo
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“I am curious”
...and I can certainly understand your curiosity, however it appears that it is in part related to a desire to understand how a liberal making a truly absurd decision, arrives at the disastrous result.
I liken it to attempting to understand why a killer kills, or a Rapist Rapes. Who the hell cares. They have committed a punishable offense, and punishment is the next step, following the arrest and conviction, of course.
Good article. I wonder if he is going to have the courage to follow up on this article with a realistic “so what do we do now?” Because anyone who looks at the totality of the situation we face is going to recognize that we’re the suckers at a game of political 3 card monte.
Few of the great tragedies of history were created by the village idiot, and many by the village genius.
Well, I guess we are totally safe from Zero!!!
If, indeed, a tax bill cannot be ruled on until someone actually pays the tax, then SCOTUS had no grounds to even rule on this case from the basis of it being a tax.
If, indeed, a tax bill cannot be ruled on until someone actually pays the tax, then SCOTUS had no grounds to even rule on this case from the basis of it being a tax.
“While I realize the boundary between the two is growing less distinct, judges are still obliged to explain the legal basis for their ruling”.
Did you hear Rush this morning mention one of the conservative justices asked Roberts to explain the ruling and he couldn’t, which was why none of the dissenting opinions even addressed Robert’s ruling.
I agree with your second sentence. This whole issue can only be understood by turning oneself into a pretzel.
If a justice ignores his oath, he should be removed.
Maybe we need to amend the Constitution to that effect. But cowardly Republicans would cave on that too.
The oath of office required for representatives of "the People" was intended to be sacred and binding, because that oath is a vow, according to their understanding, before the "Sovereign" of the Universe, and its violation carries penalities both human and Divine. President George Washington described it in this manner:
"Where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths?"
For an amazing history lesson and sermon by the Rev. Benjamin W. Arnett, readers might want to visit the Library of Congress and read the entire text of his 1876Centennial Thanksgiving Sermon, paying special note to the excerpts below which discuss and describe the nature of the oath:
From the Library of Congress: African American Perspectives: Pamphlets from the Daniel A.P.Murray Collection, 1818-1907
Centennial Thanksgiving sermon,: delivered by Rev. B.W. Arnett, B.D., at St. Paul A.M.E. Church, Urbana, Ohio
Excerpt from P. 31, in which he is discussing the Declaration of Independence:
"We, therefore, the representatives of the United States of America in General Congress assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the World for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the name, and by the authority of the good people of these colonies, solemnly publish and declare: That these United Colonies are and of right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is, and ought to be, totally dissolved; and that, as Free and Independent States, they have full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and to do all other things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this declaration, and in a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor." - JOHN HANCOCK.
Arnett continues:
"And the names of the whole Congress followed. You see that there is Divinity in this immortal document. Can we find in the "Articles of Confederation" anything to support the position that the founders of this government intended that it should be a nation for God, and that his religion should have a place in this land. It says: "Whereas it hath pleased the Great Governor of the World to incline the hearts of the legislatures we respectively represent in Congress, to approve of and to authorize us to ratify the said Articles of Confederation and perpetual union." Thus we find this assembly thanking the Governor of the world for inclining the hearts of men. Who can move the hearts of men but God? But we find them in reverence bowing to the Governor of men.
"We now call your attention to the Constitution of the Nation and let us examine that instrument in the light of the men who formed it, and we will see that this was intended to be a Nation founded in Righteousness and Justice. What does the instrument say on this subject:
"We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquillity, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."
"Article VI says: "The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall be required as a Qualification to any office or public trust under the United States."
On Page 37, Rev. Arnett described the nature of "oaths and affirmations" as follows:
"Oaths and affirmations are appeals to God, by him who makes them, that what he has said, or what he shall say, is the truth. It is the most solemn form under which one can assert or pronounce anything, and its violation is a crime of the darkest hue; one which God has declared he will punish; one that is made infamous and punishable by fine and imprisonment, by the laws of the land. Thus Christian obligation is required of every officer of the general Government, who fills any position of trust, honor or emolument. Many reports are required in the form and shape of affidavits."
Rev. Arnett was asked to deliver the Sermon in that Year of Celebration following the period of the Civil War, and his breadth of knowledge, his love for the Republic, and his insight into the ideas of liberty as incorporated into our documents of liberty should be read over this upcoming 4th of July Holiday.
On P. 47 of that Address, he begins a section on what he calls "Dangers to Our Country," listing the stated goals of what must have been the beginnings of what we call the "progressive" movement. Those goals, as he identified them in 1876, can be directly correlated with specific actions which most of us would recognize today.
Alberto Gonzales the third worst Atoorney General vetted him.
A most excellent post regarding Rev. Arnett and Oaths, thank you much.
This is why every Republican who shies away from "social issues" is wrong to do so. What we refer to as the dominant culture in the country is really just a reflection of the moral state of the People in general. And as the Founders warned us, our system of self-government will implode if not manned by people of the right caliber. Take a system that grants unprecedented freedom to its citizens and populate it with morally apathetic people, and the result is guaranteed to be catastrophic.
Our system depends on being staffed with people of character and honor for it to work as intended. As we have seen, oaths are important and must be honored by those who take them. But if we simply ignore those uncomfortable "social issues", how do we expect to raise up generations of Americans who are morally fit to exercise their responsibilities as citizens, much less as officers of the government? Garbage in - Garbage out.
I am afraid we simply have precious few people today who are even remotely qualified to govern from a moral standpoint. And the only way to address this problem is not through tax policy or foreign policy (important as those are), but rather through social policy. If we don't start resisting the liberal social agenda without fail and without compromise, we will never have a prayer of setting the right course on taxes, or spending, or foreign affairs, or on anything else for that matter. We will just continue to churn out morally-confused people who cannot properly differentiate between right and wrong, and should not be surprised when they fail to see the significance of an oath.
In practical terms what I mean is that we must refuse to accept liberal premises. Refuse to go along at work or at school with "diversity" training. Refuse to be silent when someone promulgates the lie that America is a racist, empire-building evil country. Refuse to tolerate any portion of the homosexual agenda, because tolerance by those who were just trying to be polite and avoid conflict has now brought us to the point where we are seriously debating an oxymoron such as "gay marriage." We have to do more than just refuse to allow liberals to continue to make things worse, however. We must become involved in all facets of the culture that conservatives have traditionally avoided, from media, to art and film, to academia, to government, etc. In this way, we can begin to model moral courage and uprightness to our children and to any adults who aren't already too far gone.
We must rebuild the character of the People if we are to have any chance of reclaiming our nation.
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I’m with Dr. Sowell.
Thanks for the ping.
I feel betrayed - how could he do this? Can't seem to shake the feeling that people like me don't matter.
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