Every United States office from the induction of a private into the army to the swearing in of the Commander in Chief as President of the United States requires the taking of an oath to support and defend the Constitution.
The United States Constitution is arguably the most important document in American history. The oath that the President takes is spelled out in Article 2, Section 1, Clause 8 of the
Constitution.
George Washington was elected the first president of our country in 1788 by a unanimous vote of the 69 members of the electoral college. There were no term limits back then and he didn’t seek to be president after his second term. This created a custom which was followed until Franklin Roosevelt was elected for a fourth term and was being considered for a fifth.
In 1951 after some great concern about “presidents for life” the Constitution was amended to limit a president to two terms (22nd Amendment). Grover Cleveland is the only president to serve two nonconsecutive terms. His terms were separated by four years and ended in
1897.
Our next presidential election will be in early November. We will almost surely have to choose between former president Donald Trump and President Joe Biden. Of course, either one is liable not to make it because of their physical condition and age. In any event neither one can serve more than four years unless the Constitution is amended or ignored.
If President Biden is reelected, it’s not too hard to predict how he will handle to job. He’ll try to make deals with the opposition if necessary to get things done for America. Donald Trump is an entirely different story. He promises retribution against his opponents and perceived enemies. That’s the starter. Anyone in his political party who has criticized him will be vulnerable. That explains why so many politicians who have spoken against him have backtracked and now follow his demands.
So, what type of a person is attracted to Mr. Trump and his MAGA Cult? I tried having an open discussion with a Trump supporter. The woman I spoke with, a refined, mature lady who is a retired medical professional told me that: “I don’t want to hear the facts. If they are against Trump, then they are untrue. I don’t care what anyone tells me, nothing will keep me from voting for Trump.” Is she a cult follower? How can it be explained? It can’t. Maybe it’s an underlying distrust of all government or racism or an inner dislike of all foreigners or a fear of anyone “different”. What is really concerning is that she is married to a high-ranking retired army officer, and he is voting for Trump as well. This is in the face of Mr. Trump’s total disrespect for the military.
Mr. Trump is said to have criticized Senator John McCain as not being a hero and is said to have called him a “loser” because he was captured. Mr. Trump is said to have declared that the American soldiers who died in combat in Europe were “fools” and “suckers”. He cancelled a trip to visit an American military cemetery near Paris saying that the helicopter couldn’t fly because of the rain and that the Secret Service wouldn’t drive him there. People say that neither was true and that he allegedly said “Why should I go to that cemetery? It’s full of losers.” He is quoted as calling General Mark Milley, who at the time was Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a traitor who deserves death. General Milley retired saying that he worked for the Constitution not for a “wannabe dictator”. It is further said that Donald Trump didn’t want wounded veterans to march in military parades or appear at White House ceremonies because he believed it would upset Americans to see these heroes.
All of us who proudly served our country in the military, should be aware that Mr. Trump never served a day in the military and is accused of being a draft dodger, claiming that a small bony growth on his heel kept him from serving.
So how can Americans who appreciate and honor our war hero’s and their sacrifices for our country, vote for someone who openly disrespects them?
I will attempt to explain this further in our next post.
GOD BLESS OUR WAR HEROES AND GOD BLESS AMERICA!