Preserve, Protect and Defend

The above picture was shown during the initial Congressional public hearing on the U.S. Capitol riots. The picture captures the large crowd that had walked from a President Trump rally earlier in the day and breaching the barricades on the west side of the Capitol overwhelming the severely outnumbered Capitol police. The events of the day captured on video show a violent interaction between the demonstrators and the police. It can be visibly seen that while the police took relentless physical abuse, their weapons remained holstered and the only defense they offered was to resist the press of the crowd with their crowd shields and their bodies, only protected by helmets, chest armor, gloves, boots, and some arm padding. They absorbed blows with blunt instruments, poles, bicycle racks and any available object the demonstrators could find.

Pictured above is Capitol Police Officer Caroline Edwards who testified at the hearing and is shown knocked unconscious on the ground by demonstrators using a bicycle rack on Jan. 6, 2021. Officer Edwards testified that after she regained consciousness that day, she continued to defend the Capitol with her fellow officers until she was injured for a second time. She explained that she and her fellow officer’s motivation that day was the same as every day, to fulfill their oaths of office to preserve, protect, and defend the U.S. Capitol and all the Congressional occupants conducting the affairs of governing our country.

Above was presented and discussed at length in Congressional hearing on Capitol riots of Jan.6, 2021. The seven-point plan articulates the concerted effort of President Trump to plan and execute the assault on the Capitol with the intent of stopping the constitutionally mandated election process and to remain in power even though he was told by staff and family he had lost the election. Attorney General William Barr’s testimony was that he personally told President Trump there was no evidence of a fraudulent election, that he had lost and that his election fraud claims were “bullxxxx”.

President Trump, as did every president before him, took the following oath of office as is stated in Article II of the Constitution of the United States: “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.” He took this oath with his hand on the bible. He obviously forgot about his oath, or he had no sense of moral obligation to fulfill it. Either case disqualifies him to be President of the United States in my opinion. So, my issue is not with President Trump or any of his political allies that continue to enable his political influence in our country. My issue is with people of faith who should know the consequences of a cavalier approach to oath-taking and continue to support this man. Let me explain.

Scripture clearly articulates the soberness of oath taking. “You shall not swear falsely but shall perform your oaths to the Lord” (Mathew 5:33); “But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your yes be yes, and your no, no less you fall into judgement (hypocrisy).”(James 5:12) One should not approach taking an oath lightly for scripture warns it to be a demonstration of one’s character on display. It implies that one means what they say so that will enable trust and confidence. It is a requisite for any leader of any type of organization for if a leader cannot be trusted in what is said there can be no confidence in the leadership of that individual. But those scriptures are just embracing common sense without any drastic implication to one’s faith. Hebrews 6:17-18 sets the standard for those of faith. “Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed (guaranteed) it by an oath, that by two immutable (unchangeable) things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.” Simply put God illustrates the oath as His guarantee for any future promise He offers to people of faith. Promises like He will always be with us, to guide and to ensure whatever path we are on He is in control, are guaranteed by His oath to us. God’s oath to us is one of the bedrocks of our faith and we are not to take this giving and taking of an oath casually, lightly or most of all optional. It is why policemen, soldiers, doctors, pastors and presidents can be relied on what they say and do will be shaped by the oaths they take.

I do not particularly care what happens to Mr. Trump as a result of these hearings or as a result of any of the myriad of litigation actions working against him. I believe he operates in the same world as we as a people of faith do which dictates “we reap what we sow”. (Galatians 6:7) The only actions I judge are my own. The only consequences of improper actions I worry about are once again my own. My point of this writing is to say as a people of faith we should expect better from a president. We have too much to lose if not. My request is for the love of God, and for our faith please give the rest of these Congressional hearings a careful listen. Then decide based on an honest hearing whom you will support in future elections. I suggest we should base our decision on who we think will best preserve, protect and defend our Constitution.