Buchness: When is an oath not an oath?

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When a Boy Scout takes an oath — duty to God and country, duty to other people and duty to self — he or she gets introduced to ideas that are the standard of behavior for being an honorable Scout. If followed, then a good life is sure to come. Oaths are to be followed, aren’t they? I expect any Scout to follow as best as he or she can. Does that apply to our government officials? Try to remember that they should work for us, so shouldn’t the oath taken before us be followed?

When the president takes the oath of office during the inauguration, the oath states: “I solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic,” etc. I believe that a border that has no vetting whatsoever breaks the opening line of the oath of office. Tens of thousands of pounds of fentanyl have been trafficked illegally over our border, which are killing over 100,000 residents per year since 2021. Even our citizens here in the Cape region are affected. In 2023, that number was 120,000 (National Center for Health Statistics). In 2016-20, that figure hovered around 76,000 annual deaths. That’s a 58% increase in annual deaths from 2016-20 to 2023, since we opened our borders in 2021. Is that a coincidence or could that be related to our change in border policy?

When the attorney general takes the oath of office to uphold the current written laws, is there a clause that states, “only if you want”? I haven’t been able to find that phrase in any publication. Why are some lawbreakers not prosecuted, when clear evidence is present? Why is crossing our border illegally exempt from prosecution? Why did cocaine found in the White House get a pass? When is holding American citizens in jail for months with no charges legal? Is allowing noncitizens to cross the border without permission or paperwork of identity, to travel freely throughout our country, protecting us?

What is our government’s standard of behavior for the oath taken? I would say very poor in general. What is your standard of behavior? Can you look in the mirror and at least meet the Scouts’ oath? If not, start today. We can all do that and so can our government officials!

Paul Buchness

Lewes

Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.

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