Words
mean things. When arranged and projected properly,
even the simplest words can shock the meekest of
patriots to their feet. General George Washington
tagged the phrase “victory or death” as the
watchword to launch the staggering remnants of his
Continental Army into the freezing darkness of a
winter storm and cross the Delaware River. Our
fledgling republic had declared her independence not
even six months earlier. Now her very survival
depended on whether each emaciated, bootless, and
nearly frozen American patriot could fight with the
hidden strength known only to God. Truly it was
“victory or death.” For 234 years all the world has
reaped the harvest of American freedom sowed that
Christmas night in our War for Independence.
Words mean things. Around noon on Monday, January
3rd, 150 citizen legislators will stand in the
Montana’s capitol, raise their right hands and swear
their oath of office. In just 41 words, as written
in Article III, section 3, of Montana’s Constitution
we declare: “I do solemnly swear that I will
support, protect and defend the constitution of the
United States, and the constitution of the state of
Montana, and that I will discharge the duties of my
office with fidelity so help me God.” The oath is a
short and incredibly powerful statement.
Words mean things. Reread the oath. (Take your time;
I’ll wait.) Equally powerful to the words which are
there, are those not there. Astonishingly absent is
any reference to reaching across the aisle to
compromise for the good of the whole, or dipping
into the treasury for programs for the people of
your home district; both statements more congruent
with the Communist Manifesto than our constitution.
Such phrases don’t exist in the oath of office by
the direct and purposeful omission of our founders;
the basis for our constitutional republic is freedom
and freedom alone.
Words mean things. If we legislators truly honor our
oath of office, then every decision before us
becomes: “Is this bill constitutional or
unconstitutional? It either ‘supports, protects and
defends the constitution’ or it does not.” There is
no maybe. I was couple weeks through my first
legislative session when the floor orations of Rep.
Rick Jore shockingly reminded me my allegiance
belonged to my constitutional oath. From then on,
every piece of legislation which hit my desk became
the clearest of black and white; it either served
the cause or it did not.
Words mean things, or at least they should. On
January 3rd, after taking their oath of office, all
legislators are given a special gift. The very
second they verbally place the period after “so help
me God”, they receive a 100 percent constitutional
voting record; a temporary and frighteningly
short-lived commodity. The freedom endowed by our
Creator is the most fragile of gifts and once it is
surrendered or compromised, it is gone forever. Pray
your legislator will treat His gift with the sacred
reverence it deserves. To do anything less
diminishes the sacrifices of each bootless and
starving American patriot marching in the snow 234
Christmas Eves ago.
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