The Coveted Commandment: I SWEAR! © 2013 by Wayne Dan Lewis, Sr.

Pledges, Oaths and Vows

Introduction

Pledges, Oaths and Vows. What do they all have in common? What they have in common is the commitment factor. Whether a pledge, oath or vow, they each require the greatest level of commitment from those of us who either raise our hands and “solemnly swear”, or give an equivocal promise that we are going to carry through a duty, an assignment or task, or a promise till death do us part. The presumed difficulty ratio to carry out any of these commitments could be 10 (on a scale of 1-10), 10 being the most difficult. The presumed consequence for failure to carry out some of these commitments, depending on the extend of the responsibility in question? Worse-case scenario? Death! Otherwise we are talking about impeachment, resigning in disgrace, or conviction for corruption or malfeasance in office.

From our world and military leaders, to our representatives, national and state, as well as local leaders, they all promise, pledge, vow or, take an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States. Add to that list, governmental appointees, spouses, doctors and lawyers, police officers and average citizens who may testify before a court room, or participate in a judicial process. All of us, at one time or another, raise our right hand and swear, before, before God (optionally), more often than not, to do something so demanding, that the consequences, however improbable, appear to be worth the overall commitment, should we fail.

They swore out an oath:

With the exception of our spouses, if any of the above phrases or incidents remind you of a time in our American history where we were promised or convinced of the respective leader’s position, then we may have been duped. Duped by not only what was said, but who said it, and how their image to us was tarnished. They were/are leaders. Many of whom, in one way or another, promised to us, or someone, that they would be faithful, truthful, and, if nothing else, honest in their presentation of the carrying out of their respective duties and obligations.

This is not to cast a broad brush that each or all of the above, or anyone hereinafter referenced intended to mislead us as citizens. But the appearance of being mislead is unmistakable. The examples given above may have all been done in good faith. But the eventual outcomes were least likely desirable. The impacts were unforgettable, and the impression of leadership took another hit because something said, or failed to be said, done, or failed to be done, affected us as citizens, or members of our respective groups where we were left let down, or disappointed that our leader(s), in some capacity, swore to be upstanding, in every way, and yet, seemed to have failed.

Is swearing too much to ask?

If the President of the United States misleads us, does it matter whether it is by intent? Should there be a penalty? Shouldn’t he or she be held accountable? In the case of President Obama who has apologized for the healthcare debacle of Obamacare, should his apologies be enough?[9] In the instance of President George W. Bush, on the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln in 2003[10], should he be held accountable for indicating that a mission had been achieved when more and more troops were being sent to Iraq, lasting nearly 10 years? President Clinton’s proclaiming his innocence in an affair with an intern in the Oval Office of the White House bearly escaped impeachment for his misleading of the American people. Has he been forgiven? Is taking the Oath of Office too much to ask when we look at some of the areas in which our highest leaders have fallen short in their obligations?

Does the Oath of Office, whether it is the President of the United States or the City Councilmember, has so high a threshold for commitment that to expect our leaders to not only reach it but maintain it, too much to ask?

The incidents referenced above along with any number of instances historically of political leaders engaging in affairs, drugs, corruption and the like, suggests that if our leaders are being held to so high a standard that they no longer can meet those standards, that maybe we should cut them some slack. After all, their commitments for the presidential office, or gubernatorial office can be extremely stressful, and if they aren’t given some type of leeway, who knows whatever else our leaders may resort to doing?

For the next generation

This is not to be facetious, but our leaders are continuing to show either a high level of weakness for their offices, or, are we giving them too much of the benefit of the doubt in their duties and their obligations? What will the next generation say? What are we saying to them? That it is okay to mislead, or to promise and then apologize for a misstep? For example, President Obama.

What should we do to him despite his promise that we could keep our health plan if we wanted to, only to have insurance companies drop their customers from their roles? Should the President be impeached?

Should we punish President Obama, or should we be willing to go along with him as we did with President George H.W. Bush when he said “no new taxes”? We were certainly in an uproar when all of a sudden, there were new taxes.[11] Should he have been impeached, or should he have at least stepped down from the Presidency?

And certainly George W. Bush and General Colin Powell should have been made to pay for their misleading of the American people. They told us that there were Weapons of Mass Destruction being used by a terrible dictator in Iraq, Saddam Hussein.[12] Did we ever find any weapons of mass destruction? Who is going to pay for the lives lost when there were no Weapons of Mass Destruction, after a 10 year war?

I think when all is said and done, we will have forgiven and forgotten President Clinton, President Nixon and/or both of the Bushes for their faux pas’ during their tenure. After all, these men were performing one of the most important jobs in the world. They were world leaders, entrusted with decisions that shape world economies and trade. Surely, with all that they are responsible for, we can forgive an affair in the Oval Office; a banner proclaiming success for a war that was far from over. Surely, we can find it in our hearts to overlook a raise in taxes in order to continue to build and save our economy.

But, will we be as quick to forgive a President who stepped way out of line with a health program that caused people to loose their healthcare plans? Is it unthinkable that a President who put a program together couldn’t have been better prepared than to have the kind of problems that are associated with citizens trying to log on and register for healthcare protection? It seems unimaginable that this kind of ineptness could exist at so high an office, especially in this technological age. It is inconceivable that a President, bent on providing affordable healthcare for many uninsured Americans would risk his legacy on trying to save lives, would cause innocent Americans to loose their healthcare coverage. But that apparently is what has happened, in stark contrast to the Oath for which he took to protect the lives of all Americans. What should be his punishment? How do we square this kind of mismanagement with the next generation of leaders? Have we given this President too much power? Were his dreams too extreme for this country to undertake? Or, has he failed to meet the goals of his oath? Did he not commit to bring healthcare to this country? Did he fail because of the glitches, or did he succeed in spite of the glitches? Has President Obama failed to uphold his Oath any more than President Clinton, President Nixon, or any of the Bush Presidents? Or, has President Obama, like Clinton, the Bushes, and Nixon failed to uphold his responsibility as a leader?

Overreacting?

Am I overreacting? Promises have always been made to people by politicians. That’s nothing new. But to their credit, that’s what politicians do-make promises and break them. They tend to overpromise and under deliver. I am not saying that it’s a good thing, but it is and has always been the way of politicians. The question is: to what extent does the breaking of the promise affect American lives? Think about that question as we compare each of the examples that we put forth here.

And if I am overreacting, or if anyone is overreacting to this recent major blunder by President Obama, then it needs to be put into perspective when we compare, for example, the Iraq War to Obamacare. The difference? Obamacare is correctable. The Iraq War has yet to be corrected in terms of lives lost and monies invested. We have an opportunity to save lives with Obamacare, without throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

Maybe comparing the Iraq War to Obamacare is cruddy, maybe it’s right, you decide. But I am guessing that the Oath of Office taken on this watch is more likely to save American lives and improve the economy. This does not excuse the broken promise, but it should make way for the promise to be mended, and for lives to be saved.

Perhaps the examples of broken promises above are not good examples of broken vows, pledges or oaths. Perhaps I am overreacting because promises were made to be broken, regardless of who made them. But there is no reason why men and/or women who aspire to great offices should not take for granted the admiration and expectation of those who hold them in so high regard. True, I maybe overreacting, but I want to at least call out one or more leaders for their approach to what they promise to me and other American citizens only to break those promises.

I Do Solemnly Swear

I do solemnly swear (or affirm) 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.[13]

Read more: The Presidential Oath of Office | Infoplease.com http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0878064.html#ixzz2kku9NZEH

I can never forget what I’ve felt when I have seen Presidents take the Oath of Office. I felt tense, sometimes I felt nervous, and then I felt a sense of peace. And when President Obama took the Oath of Office the first time in 2008, I felt extreme pride. The second time, I just felt the way that I had always felt, nervous and tense. But the Oath of Office, approximately 35 words or so, basically state that this one person will lead this country for at least four years, and will to the best of their ability, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. Does that mean that there will not be a broken promise? Does it mean that the Constitution is at risk when a promise is broken, or a lie is told to the American people? I personally believe that the Constitution is not at risk because of this incident or any one such misrepresentation. There are too many safeguards, despite the fallibility of any presumed Commander in Chief.

To future generations, as you assume your various offices of esteem, I believe that you will tell lies, and that you will make promises, and then break them. I believe that you will make pledges and not fulfill them because it will be too much for you to be an absolutely, truthful leader. My point of reference here is historical, not personal.

What we have seen recently in the late 20^th century and moving into the 21^st century are men and women falling short in their various commitments to fulfill even the least of their obligations for which they swore to do. But what we have also seen is the resilience of our country to get past the greatest threats to our security, i.e. 9/11.[14] We [15]have seen our leaders at their best, even when we have seen them at their most vulnerable. President Bush demonstrated leadership after 9/11 unsurpassed by any recent president, while demonstrating a sense of hesitation after Hurricane Katrina in 2005[16]. By contrast, President Obama was able to track down and kill Osama bin Laden in 2011,[17] the believed master-mind of the 2001 9/11 attacks. Thus the question: which of these actions give greater or lesser value to the oath taken by, in these 2 instances, by both Presidents, Bush and Obama?

How we do we determine if the Oath of Office is diminished or lack validity when comparing the loss of life of 1000’s of American troops in Iraq to the troubled implementation of a healthcare coverage that promises to save lives of millions of Americans, where unfortunately, a few Americans loose their health plans despite a promise to keep it (with all due respect)? If both instances are an example of failure to uphold the Oath of Office, how do we begin to punish one that seeks to save lives of millions of Americans with affordable insurance coverage, to one that cost 1000’s of American lives in Iraq for Weapons of Mass Destruction? Apples to Oranges? Perhaps, but promises were made, and Americans were mislead in both instances. Does it matter what the outcome was if promises were broken? Yes, it does matter. Here is why.

The Oath of Office is a tremendous commitment that everything will be done to ensure that each and every American citizen will be given the benefit of the doubt when our leaders present us with what is said to be definitive information for which we are to rest assured that our leadership is being forthcoming, honest and sincere. We should always believe that whomever occupies the Office of the President of the United States is giving us information that is unquestionably designed to protect, to defend and to preserve the same constitution as prescribed in 1775 as it is today. That oath, taken by each and every American leader, left nothing to chance, that when each president promised “no new taxes”, or “I did not have sex with that woman, Monica Lewinsky” or, “Mission Accomplished,” or, “If you like your insurance plan, you can keep it,” there was no presumed ambiguity. They were being as honest as the Constitution allowed them to be, and we should have had no doubt about when they spoke. Why? Because they swore! On the Bible! And what is a swear but an unconditional promise to carry out the duties of their office “faithfully”? But for us, as history as shown, swearing comes with a caveat, a footnote, or perhaps an asterisk (*). What does that mean to us, as citizens?

As citizens, we should be questioning practically everything that our leaders tell us. We should assume that any promise made comes with a crossed-finger behind the back, or a wink-wink. For our young people, going forward, we can’t expect them to believe leadership, or government when a promise is made, even when there is no outright swearing. For our young people, the fact that someone promises something, as high as the President of the United States, it presumably has no value. And so, for us as citizens, and for our young people coming behind us, we are teaching them that swearing is too much to ask of anyone, and that going forward, maybe we should just ask our leaders to just say: “We’re trying” or, “We hope to accomplish A,B,C”. It would be easier in the event of failure, or if it turns out not to be true.

In Conclusion

Our young people are learning so many of our bad habits as it is. So now, promises, regardless of whether it is the President of the United States, the Governor of the State of Louisiana, the Mayor of New Orleans, or even as parents, a promise to do something is no longer valid. Swearing to accomplishing something is a moot action because it no longer carries with it the solemnity that it implies, and that it further suggests that the fall from success is far greater and perhaps even riskier to those who actually swear.

Next Blog: LET MY PEOPLE GO! 2014 B.H.R.

Wednesday November 20, 2013

The Coveted Commandment Blog-Thou Shalt Build Wealth

[1] The Late former Richard Nixon Quote before stepping down as president- http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm/watergate/articles/111873-1.htm

[2] Barack Obama Quote on Affordable Healthcare- http://www.forbes.com/sites/theapothecary/2013/11/15/obama-to-nation-if-you-like-your-plan-you-can-keep-your-plan-at-least-until-the-next-election/

[3] George H.W. Bush Quote on taxes- https://www.google.com/#q=read%20my%20lips%20no%20new%20taxes

[4] President Bill Clinton Quote in the scandal with Monica Lewinsky- http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/press-past/2013/01/25/bill-clinton-15-years-ago-i-did-not-have-sexual-relations-with-that-woman

[5] Sign in the Iraq War (George W. Bush, President)- http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/10/28/mission.accomplished/

[6] General Colin Powell leading up to the Iraq War- http://www.globalresearch.ca/americas-wmd-pretext-to-wage-war-on-iraq-ten-years-after-colin-powell/5321840

[7] Response to Wedding Vow- Anonymous

[8] Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal- http://thelensnola.org/2012/11/21/jindal-administration-invoking-2009-law-to-shield-public-records/

[9] President Obama’s Apology- http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/warren-president-obamacare-apology-precede-law-worst-problems-article-1.1517673