This was an article I included in our April Newsletter and I wanted to share it here.

Why should I reach, teach and inspire currently serving military members, officers and first responders? It is a question I hear from time to time and it is one I lose sleep over.   We need to understand that the oath taken by serving members today is no different than the oath we took. I was not very knowledgeable about the Constitution when I raised my right hand, all I knew is the nation that gave my family refuge was owed a debt. During my years in service some of my fellow Coast Guardsmen took the time to teach me about the Constitution. In the late 1980s, as a young PO1, I was given my own copy. Over the years we received training and were told that “I was just following orders” was no excuse. Today the Constitution is under assault by people who claim to serve our nation in government. I often say it, but it has been a long road and they stand on the shoulders of those who came before them.

Ideas like natural law are scoffed at and ridiculed. We are told that in spite of the writings of Jefferson, Locke, Madison, and Bastiat our rights come from government. People who speak about natural law are lampooned by the media as “ignorant fools.” These may be the “teachers” who are educating our young military members, police officers and first responders about the Constitution (there are still good folks out there instructing in Basic Training and the Academies, please do not misunderstand me). If you do not take the time to speak to them, how will they ever know the truth?   How will they be inspired to serve and protect their community and nation? We cannot give up now. It is our job to know the Constitution, to have knowledge of natural law, organic law, and some of the other founding documents of our nation. You and I need to be able to explain why the oath is so important, why honoring those who came before you by following it to the best of your abilities is the price of duty. Finally it would be a good idea to send every serving member you meet off with a copy of the Constitution and a tri-fold.

Many of us think you have to obtain a law degree to understand the Constitution. While there are many patriotic attorneys who support the literal interpretation of it, there are other ways you can have a good working knowledge of the Constitution. First you can read it. After you read it I would strongly encourage you to take a class, I have attended several but the one at Hillsdale College is free and comes highly recommended. Additionally, Constitutional scholars like Michael Badnarik and Virginia Oath Keeper Edwin Viera regularly hold workshops about the Constitution. I am hopeful that we will offer an eight-hour Constitution class at one of our future statewide training days.

Please remember our mission, to reach teach and inspire serving and veteran public servants, to serve our communities on a Community Preparedness Team, and to hold our local, state and government officials accountable to the supreme law of the land.