The Oaths We Keep
No person who advocates, or has been or is a member, or associated with, any organization, formal or informal, that advocates discrimination, violence, or hatred toward any person based upon their race, nationality, creed, or color, shall be entitled to be a member or associate member. - Oath Keepers’ Bylaws
On paper, this statement looks rather innocuous. In fact, if this was the only thing we read about the Oath Keepers, we would believe that they are a stand-up organization, and not what Southern Policy Law Center calls “one of the largest far-right antigovernment groups in the U.S. today”.
Which is true? Anti-government? Of course, and somehow this self-proclaimed “not racist” group formed just after Barack Obama was elected into the white house. Was that just a coincidence? And for a group which insists to take such a strong stance against racism, they sure did fall in line quickly behind an objectively racist president (i.e. Donald Trump — read up).
What else do we need to know about the Oath Keepers? Dig into this podcast and find out. But take a breath and look around first. We see the same thing in Congress. We have Sinema, Manchin, and 50 Republicans preventing good work being done in Congress right now. How many of those people said things like this:
Today we remember the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. #MLKDay - Sinema
Or maybe this?
On Monday, we celebrate and honor the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., one of the most inspiring and important figures in American history. Dr. King taught us to stand up for what we believe in through civil, peaceful means to unite our nation instead of divide it. He inspired communities across our country to improve and make a difference for others, and that spirit still lives on in millions of Americans today. Dr. King changed our society for the better and provided us a vision for what America could be, if we work together. My grandparents taught me that if you can count your blessings you can share your blessings, and Dr. King taught us that the values of love, unity and forgiveness are some of the most important values in our society. Let us all remember Dr. King’s memory by reaching out to our fellow West Virginians to create unity and share our blessings during these difficult times. - Manchin
Great words, right? We don’t even need to get into what the McConnel said. What does MLK have to say about all of this? Well, don’t take our word for it, take his:
I think the tragedy is that we have a Congress with a Senate that has a minority of misguided senators who will use the filibuster to keep the majority of people from even voting. - MLK
More about that in our next podcast though. The point is this: watch what our congresspeople vote on, not what they say. We talk about all of this in the latest Right and Freedom podcast.
We know about Oaths, by the way. The Oath Keepers decided to use the foundation of the nation as an excuse to try to overthrow the federal government. We, at Right and Freedom, take our oaths, which are the same — every Marine swears to defend the constitution — to push for building up this great nation.
