You Swore an Oath!
I recently called into a radio talk show where one of the candidates running for the Delaware House of Representatives was being interviewed to ask a simple question, "Since you will swear an Oath to uphold and defend the Constitution of Delaware, my first question is have you read it and do you understand it and if so will you oppose any bill put forth by either party, that violates the authority delegated to you, through it?
His answer sounded good, but surprisingly the very next question he showed to all that either he lied about reading and understand the State Constitution or he will be one who doesn't take his Oath of Office seriously. (my question is at 18:44 but I encourage you to listen to the entire interview)
Unfortunately, this is not uncommon! In fact, it is entirely too common, both at the state and federal level by members of both parties!
Our schools, colleges, and yes, even our law schools no longer teach our constitutions. In fact, I tried to find a course on the Delaware State Constitution at the area's universities and could not find one. As a result, our legislators, governors, presidents, judges, and justices have for far too long been left ignorant of what those documents are as well as what they say. In my opinion, this is the main reason our state and nation are in the poor condition that we are in and why our society is so politically divided!
The good news is we can fix this simply by teaching them and learning ourselves the constitutions of both the state we live in and the United States of America!
Let's start here with a few very important things: definitions of just a few words. I use Webster's 1828 Dictionary since it was written by one of our founding fathers, Noah Webster, for the sole purpose of defining the words in our founding documents as they were understood at the time of the founding of our states and our nation.
Let's start with the definition of an Oath:
OATH, noun
A solemn affirmation or declaration, made with an appeal to God for the truth of what is affirmed. The appeal to God in an oath implies that the person imprecates his vengeance and renounces his favor if the declaration is false, or if the declaration is a promise, the person invokes the vengeance of God if he should fail to fulfill it. A false oath is called perjury.
That is the very foundation of our legal system. That is why witnesses have to swear an oath to tell the truth, so that even if we can't prove they lied, there will be consequences for them; they have wagered their very soul. The same goes for the Oath of Office! Now, I don't believe anyone in office takes their oath for granted, nor do I believe most would knowingly violate it. We have just been slowly, over time, made ignorant of just how important that oath is.
Let's define the word Constitution, because most of us don't fully understand what a constitution is. Pay close attention to #4
CONSTITUTION, noun
1. The act of constituting, enacting, establishing, or appointing.
2. The state of being; that form of being or peculiar structure and connection of parts which makes or characterizes a system or body. Hence the particular frame or temperament of the human body is called its constitution We speak of a robust or feeble constitution; a cold, phlegmatic, sanguine or irritable constitution We speak of the constitution of the air, or other substance; the constitution of the solar system; the constitution of things.
3. The frame or temper of mind, affections or passions.
4. The established form of government in a state, kingdom or country; a system of fundamental rules, principles and ordinances for the government of a state or nation. In free states, the constitution is paramount to the statutes or laws enacted by the legislature, limiting and controlling its power; and in the United States, the legislature is created, and its powers designated, by the constitution
5. A particular law, ordinance, or regulation, made by the authority of any superior, civil or ecclesiastical; as the constitutions of Justinian and his successors.
6. A system of fundamental principles for the government of rational and social beings.
The New Testament is the moral constitution of modern society.
We also need to understand the fact that our State Constitutions delegate the authorities and powers by the Sovereign People to the State (the Consent of the People) as well as limit the authorities to those delegated, as stated at the end of our State Bill of Rights, Article 1 of the Delaware Constitution: "WE DECLARE THAT EVERYTHING IN THIS ARTICLE IS RESERVED OUT OF THE GENERAL POWERS OF GOVERNMENT HEREINAFTER MENTIONED," and the U.S. Constitution delegates some of the State's delegated authorities to the Federal government. This is clearly stated in the 10th Amendment in the U.S. Bill of Rights: "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."
It is obvious once we understand this that our governments at all levels are exceeding their authority! We CAN fix this though!
Ignorance of the Law is no defence,
Our constitutions ARE the Law!
The Supreme Law!
Ignorance is 100% curable
Teaching and learning the Constitution is the cure!
I encourage all of you, especially those of you who seek or are currently serving in our government and have or will have sworn an Oath to uphold (follow) and defend (make sure others follow) The Constitutions of your State and or Your Country to read and study those documents. To that end I invite all of you to a class on the Delaware State Constitution being held in Sussex County Delaware beginning Sept 22nd either live or by Zoom. If you are a candidate or an elected official use the Promo Code Candidate26 for a special discount.
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