I am 76 years old. I tell you this to acknowledge that I have lived through a lot of history in America. I always felt safe because of laws and their keepers.
I admit that I have taken our government for granted, thinking that responsible and respectful men and women felt a duty in serving our country and would always be there to safeguard the nation.
More than one year ago on Jan. 6, 2021, those safeguards were derailed by the very people who said, “I do solemnly (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; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God”.
This oath is required by the Constitution; the wording is prescribed by law. An oath is a solemn promise about your behavior or your actions.
Sadly, going into the first few months of this new year 2021, many in Congress are no longer remembering their oaths. Truthfulness and integrity have silently left the building, and the lives of 350 million American citizens being able to rely on a strong and united government has been shaken and put into question. The strength of our democracy seems to be eroding before our eyes.
So once again I ask, “Why don’t oaths matter anymore?” But more importantly, those oaths are only as strong as the people who have sworn to uphold them!
While I applaud the work of the January 6 Committee, I really shouldn’t because they are just doing their job, right? A group of congressmen and congresswomen who are living each day honoring their oath of office by taking this action!
This shouldn’t be looked at as anything other than normal! This is their job, it’s what they signed up for and what they took an oath to do! Law and order is what keeps our society safe and functioning!
Going forward into 2022, I wish nothing but the best always and in all ways for our country.
Roberta Silsbury
Goleta
