Perjury from our government officials?
To the Editor:
How important to our nation and our state is the oath of office provided for in the U.S. Constitution? Article 6, beginning in the 3rd paragraph states; "The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and Judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the Several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution."
Violation of this oath still constitutes perjury.
The Bible has something to say about violation of oath. "Let none of you devise evil in your heart against each other; and do not love perjury; for all these are what I hate, declares the Lord." (Zechariah 8:17)
Montana's governor and all of those serving in the Montana National Guard have taken an oath to uphold the U.S. Constitution.
So why are we permitting the Bush administration to activate our men and women to serve unconstitutionally in Iraq and Afghanistan?
The U.S. and Montana Constitutions are very concise regarding the deployment of the state militia/National Guard troops. Without question, the orders that have sent our men off to Iraq and Afghanistan are in direct conflict with both Constitutions, which state that the only authorities that can call up the National Guard are the U.S. Congress, and the state governor - and even then only under very specific circumstances.
The U.S. Constitution is clear and unambiguous: "Congress shall have power to provide; for calling forth the militia to execute the laws of the Union, suppress insurrections, and repel invasions." (Article 1 Section 8 Clause 15).
Congress, not the president, has the power to call forth the militia.
The Montana Constitution uses similar language: Section 13. Militia. (1) The governor is commander-in-chief of the militia forces of the state, except when they are in the actual service of the United States.
He may call out any part or all of the forces to aid in the execution of the laws, suppress insurrection, repel invasion, or protect life and property in natural disasters.
(2) The militia forces shall consist of all able-bodied citizens of the state except those exempted by law.
This means that for reasons other than "to execute the laws of the union, suppress insurrections and repel invasions," there are no conditions for a legal call up of the National Guard.
There is no circumstance whereby the President is given any authority to call up the National Guard on his own - a constitutional provision that is being ignored.
If we continue to permit elected officials to routinely violate their oaths, there is no stopping point.
We will end with a totalitarian government in the near future.
"These are the things which you should do: speak the truth to one another; judge with truth and judgment for peace in your gates"(the place where court was held). Zechariah 8:16.
"Those who have been intoxicated with power… can never willingly abandon it."
Edmund Burke
Russell Brown
Spirit Lake, Idaho