Reader J.K. emails:

I am not a political person by nature, I don’t typically jump up and shout my opinion on many things going on in Washington, DC because it is not in my nature. Also, being in the military, it would not be a good thing to develop opinions about politicians who may some day become my Commander-In-Chief. That’s not to say that I don’t exercise my right to vote, I definitely do, I just try to not get overly emotional about political issues. However, this latest crusade by Senator Feinstein really has me fired up. I have sent the following . . .

Senator _______ ,

I am a Lieutenant in the US Navy, a graduate of the United States Naval Academy, a Florida resident and am currently stationed in Washington DC. I have dedicated the last 10 years of my life to protecting this nation, and plan to make that a total of 24 before I retire.

I am vehemently opposed to the 2013 Feinstein Assault Weapons legislation, and while I know you are a busy man, please continue reading to find out why.  I am concerned that even Senator Feinstein knows that the bill will not pass as it is proposed, and this initial proposal is merely being used as a bargaining tactic to “soften the blow” and “show compromise” on later proposals that would still infringe upon our rights.

The oath I took when I was commissioned is very similar to the one that you have taken, and I consider that a very important promise to this great nation…not merely words to be repeated as a formality to taking an appointed/elected position as it appears some of your colleagues seem to treat it. Specifically, I would direct your attention to the following section:

I, [name], do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion…

The Second Amendment of the Constitution we have both sworn to support and defend states that “the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”

We are at a crossroads right now after the tragedy in Connecticut. There are colleagues of yours that will use the fear, emotion, and television air-time brought on by this tragedy to further their own political motivations.

This country is facing much bigger issues than those that Senator Feinstein is trying to address. And the bill that she is proposing would not have done anything to stop the tragedy in CT, as many of those laws were already in place in that state. It is unfortunate, but criminals break laws and infringing upon the rights of law-abiding citizens is not the way to prevent tragedies like the one in Newtown.

To quote one of your fellow Senators (Senator Kelly Ayotte), “Denying the Second Amendment rights of law abiding citizens will not change the behavior of those intent on using firearms to commit horrific crimes.”

I hope that you would keep the promise that you made to this nation when you took your oath, as I intend to keep mine. I trust that you will oppose all proposals that will infringe upon the rights granted to us in the Constitution. If you are a man of honor and keep the promise that you made to this nation, then you can count on my vote in the next election.

If, however, you choose not to uphold a right granted in the Constitution, I will find a representative that is more deserving of my vote that can uphold the oath that they make to this nation to defend the Constitution.

Very respectfully,

J.K.
Lieutenant, United States Navy

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

48 COMMENTS

  3. The Navy lieutenant shouldn’t be “asking” his senators to uphold the Constitution, he should be “telling” them to stick to their oath!

    • A veteran not retired and getting “retainer pay” is a citizen to whom elected officials are supposed to be responsible. Active duty are subject to civilian politicians in the chain of command except when their orders are unlawful, in which case they have grounds to refuse to obey. Lieutenants have no authority over senators like civilians do.

      • Lieutenants have no authority over senators like civilians do.

        The entire military has power over DC – they could easily honor their oath to uphold the Constitution and forcefully remove politicians from office for violating the Constitution. But they don’t, because the oath the military takes is a joke – their real oath is the blindly obey their masters in DC and to have no principles, because having principles makes it so much harder to murder innocent people merely because you were told to.

        • Or, perhaps real life and/or political power just isn’t as cut and dry, black & white as you seem to think it is.

          Just imagine for a moment that the JCS did exactly what you propose, in our current political climate. Does the term “martial law” mean anything to you? A military coupe would be a last resort type of action, and you can be sure that we would NOT revert to a free society for quite some time after such an action, even if that was the intent that it started with. We aren’t nearly far enough along in the slide toward tyranny to warrant such an action.

          Many/most of the military rankles at the fact that we are currently beholden to our corrupt, morally bankrupt, civilian chain of command, but the military answers to civilian ‘leaders’ for good reasons that are well documented throughout world history.

        • Hey, whatever you need to do to reconcile the claims of the military and their actions showing the exact opposite. The military and police are not our friends, they are the willing tool of our enemy.

        • A military coupe would be a last resort type of action, and you can be sure that we would NOT revert to a free society for quite some time after such an action, even if that was the intent that it started with.

          But, but, but what about all the people who say that service members love freedom!?!

        • Say whatever you want to reconcile the fact that you’ve only just show that you’re just another willfully ignorant know-nothing who finds it easier to broad-stroke people without actually engaging them and have to deal with history or with facts. That is the exact tactic used by all the other knee-jerking, dogmatic, rabidly liberal anti-rights regressive fascists in the MSM that are drooling over the possibility at chipping away at more of our rights. But, no, you’re being every bit as divisive as they are.

          Their oath is to uphold the Constitution. Nothing more, nothing less. Their oath is not to the government, or to the POTUS.

          It is a fact. One which you cannot refute if you tried. Your acceptance of it is of no consequence — it’s a non-argument. It does not require your approval, consent, or input. I’d also be willing to bet my bottom dollar that if push came to shove, you’d roll over and let them take your weapons and ammunition anyway without even so much as a peep, let alone a lawsuit and much less making them work for it to begin with.

        • Their oath is to uphold the Constitution. Nothing more, nothing less. Their oath is not to the government, or to the POTUS.

          The “oath” is just words that they say. The fact that they repeatedly assist the government in violating the Constitution shows that they don’t give a damn about it. Then, if / when they are called out on their behavior, they use the Nazi war criminal tactic and hide behind the excuse of “just following orders”. Hell, in the past century we’ve had around half a dozen instance of the US military firing on Americans – so please, tell me again how they’re so supportive of the Constitution and freedom and that they’re not just thugs who kill for money.

        • you’re just another willfully ignorant know-nothing… Their oath is to uphold the Constitution… It is a fact. One which you cannot refute if you tried…

          It is pretty easy to refute that claim. The US military has grabbed the guns of American citizens before on numerous occasions, such as the Kentucky National Guard did during the Harlan County War.
          http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harlan_County_War

          They could care less about the consitution, Maj. Thomas McClellend of the Colorado National Guard said before brutally attacking American citizens during the Colorado Labor Wars “To hell with the constitution, we aren’t going by the constitution.” Gen. Sherman Bell was quoted as saying “Habeas corpus be damned, we’ll give ’em post mortems.”
          http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado_Labor_Wars

          So who is the know nothing now?

        • Just you wait totenglocke, your on my short list when the order comes. Ok, not really, but since all of us in uniform are equally corrupt just because you think we all are ready to trample on civilian rights, then you as a civilian must be like like an LA gangbanger. You’re a civilian, and so are they; how do you like that association?

        • Matt said, “And actually their oath of enlistment is to the POTUS. ‘…I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me…'”

          That’s the ENLISTED oath. The author of the letter is an OFFICER. And, the Officer’s Oath does not stipulate following orders (from anyone). The Officers Oath declares allegiance ONLY to the Constitution.

  5. Men and women like this LT are what still makes this nation great. May we all join hands civilian-security officer-Police officer-Military member and defend our rights from the domestic enemies of liberty in power. We can kill the ban.

    • May we all join hands civilian-security officer-Police officer-Military member and defend our rights from the domestic enemies of liberty in power.
      All those people have traditionally been the enemies of liberty. Civilian security officers, such as loss prevention officers constantly infringe on peoples rights against unreasonable searches. The police violate the gamut of liberties, and will even grab your gun is a court determines you are annoying. And the US military has deliberately killed more US civilians than any other organization in history, by at least a order of magnitude, from the Whiskey Rebellion to the drone strike against 16 year old Abdulrahman al-Aulaqi.

      We can kill the ban.
      And if you dont, those same military and police officers who you hold in high regard will be the ones enforcing the ban.

      • this is all nonsense. clearly YOU have a hatred for the us military and police like.,just BE QUIET!!

        • How is it nonsense? Do you not belive the US military deliberately kills American citizens, such as burning 2 women and 11 children alive at the Ludlow Massacre of 1914? That the police do not routinely violate the civil rights of American citizens with illegal searches and seizures? Or do you prefer to refuse to acknowledge the sordid history of America’s police and military?

        • I know many many Cops and solders who love to shoot own ARs and standard 30rd mags and would die to keep there guns so you know nothing Matt.

        • Lance – those same cops would still get to shoot them because they are “superior” due to their employment by the government. They even get special privileges after retiring too!

          Don’t try to claim that they’re one of us, because they’re most certainly not.

  7. I’ve drafted a very similar but much more threatening letter to my Senators. I swear to help unseat them through every legal means availible. But us Marines aren’t known for our tact.

  9. I’m glad the Lt. spoke out but we MUST get away from the premise that our rights are “granted by the Constitution”. They are NOT! Our rights are God given, or natural if your prefer, rights. The bill of rights provides addition protections against infringement by the federal government but does not GRANT our rights.

    Any and all rights “granted” by government can be summarily taken away by government!

    There was a huge debate over this very topic when deciding whether or not a “Bill of Rights” should even be included in the Constitution. That debate was over the fear that a “Bill of Rights” would eventually transform into a list of “enumerated” rights and supplant the entire notion that our rights are unalienable.

    Alan H. USN (Ret.)

  10. OT – I know I’m going to have to support more people like Kelly Ayotte (she’s from my state), but lord if it doesn’t make me feel icky.

  12. All amendments to the US Constitution are included into the body of that legal document/proclaimation, they are an inseperable part of the body.
    To undermine any segment of the Constitution is to undermine ALL of the Constitution, a fact that the Media and Leftest Elite have suceeded in hiding from the public.
    This constitutes a violation of office holder’s oaths and is in fact sedition

  13. In my humble opinion and I think it may concur with his, this is a domestic attack on our Constitution and it should not be tolerated.

  14. I’m in a start of euphoria that a member of armed services
    is actively telling members of the legislature to actually
    uphold their oath. (Interesting that higher ranking
    officers haven’t been more vocal.)

    The euphoria, however, is being overridden by cynicism
    in knowing that if his name comes out, he will very
    soon become an ex-lieutenant.

    • Unfortunately, many of the “higher ranking officers” want to be politicians in the future and are working hard at keeping a low profile and getting promoted…

  15. It’s hard for me to write something like that because I’m already voting against anyone who supported the NDAA (which is almost everyone).

  16. Since my state Senators are Barbara Boxer and Frankenstein, I truly believe writing them will be a waste of time.

    However, CA does have some Republican (not to get political but Democrats and anti-gun correlate highly over here) representatives who will be worth writing. Anyone here think there is any point in writing a letter to Feinstein?

    • The possible reason to write the Frankensteins of our political world is to help schew the response statistics….

    • Accur81, I wrote a letter to her pointing out that as a Ca. peace officer she should know that a great many of us are opposed to another ineffectual attempt at a AWB,any sort of magazine regulation,etc. I wonder what PORAC is supporting/opposing of the proposed CA. gun legislation?
      If we don’t take the time to write than we can’t complain about whatever she does,like voting.I entend to enclose a copy of my military and peace officer oaths and ask her if I have to honor mine why is she exempt from her oath of office?

  20. The fine Lieutenant wrote in his/her letter to his/her senator, “I trust that you will oppose all proposals that will infringe upon the rights granted to us in the Constitution.”

    Please note that our Constitution does not grant rights — our rights are inalienable and pre-existing. Whenever people mention that the Constitution grants rights, they reinforce the notion that government grants rights … and can take them away at their pleasure. This subtle difference is hugely important. Once you firmly understand that government does not grant rights, you realize that government efforts to infringe on our rights are blatant attacks against us — however well intentioned those efforts may be.

  21. Don’t ask: Do tell.(Elected officials) to defend our constitution. Feinstein needs to prioritize herself. California is broke, the US is broke. Is there a pattern here? Perhaps we need to get the gov solvent and then we can worry about her old lady agenda.

  22. Well put but ultimately useless.

    Politicians who intend to do evil aren’t deterred by such trite things as oaths or morality, and certainly care less about their constituents than the moldy bagel they throw in the trash. They put emails like this up by the coffee pot to laugh at.

Comments are closed.