Domestic Enemies

Domestic Enemies
By Steve Bussey

There are millions of military veterans of every age in all our communities, from the man who was drafted for Vietnam, to the man or woman who served one enlistment to collect their GI Bill, and the military retiree. Each one swore the same oath to “protect and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and to bear true faith and allegiance to the same.” The oath begs the question; exactly who or what constitutes a domestic enemy of the Constitution?

Even the most politically liberal among us agree we have a constitutionally limited federal government, but the liberals believe that government is only limited by the Bill of Rights, including freedom of the press, search and seizure and the right to an attorney. Their problem, however, are the other amendments in the Bill of Rights as well as the body of the Constitution itself. Once you admit our federal government is constitutionally limited, you have to engage the discussion as to what level it is limited and in what ways.

You and I are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights. Our founding document – the Declaration of Independence – gives us that opening philosophy. The federal government however, is only endowed with certain delegated powers, according to the tenth amendment to the Constitution. “Those powers not delegated to the United States by this Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the People.” Have you ever delegated power and authority to a higher, more powerful person or entity? Or, are power and authority only delegated to a lower authority?

I contend our federal government, including both major political parties, has long been a domestic enemy of the Constitution in that probably eighty percent of what it does is extra-constitutional at best and unconstitutional at worst. Everything from Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, the entire welfare state to the recent activities such as Cap and Trade, national health care and auto company bailouts are all unconstitutional. There can be no legitimate argument to the contrary.

When pressed, Liberals claim federal authority under the phrase “general welfare.” That’s a bogus argument. Welfare, Social Security and the like are very specific welfare, not general, and even that fails to address original intent. General welfare in 1789 didn’t mean what it means now. They also claim authority under the necessary and proper clause, or the interstate commerce clause. These too, are bastardizations of the original intent and would tend to remove all constraints from the federal government. Even if liberals are right, which they are not, all of their arguments would have been rendered moot by the tenth amendment.

The necessary and proper clause gives Congress the authority to make all needful rules and regulations to carry out the “forgoing powers.” If a certain power is not enumerated in Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution then they cannot make all needful rules and regulations – laws concerning that specific thing. In short, if we have an unlimited federal government then the tenth amendment has, and never had, meaning. If we have a limited federal government then we have to explore and discuss those limits and hold our federal government accountable. We cannot have our cake and eat it too – can’t have it both ways.

If we have a constitutionally limited federal government, and that government is operating outside the confines of that constitution, the Supreme Law of the Land, then how does the military oath of enlistment apply? What actions, if any, are incumbent upon our military to protect and defend our Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic? Is their oath simply ceremonial?

Our Constitution is so vital – so important – it is the only thing our military swears to protect and defend. They don’t take an oath to defend the government, the politicians, the people, the flag or the borders, just the Constitution. Take care of the Constitution, be a nation of laws rather than men, and all else will be fine. See needed changes in the Constitution? Fine, have the courage to author, propose and argue for your amendment and I may stand with you. Have the courage to respect our freedom, our way of life, our history, traditions and philosophies or stand aside and let the adults run things.

I care not the nobility of your goals, for compassionate tyranny is tyranny nonetheless. Do it the right way or sit down, shut up and let the adults do the heavy lifting.