We have all been reading and hearing about protecting and defending the United States Constitution in the current political ads. I recently had an evening mealtime discussion with my husband about the oath he took when he was sworn into the Army and comparing that oath to the one administered to the President.
My exploration led to a rabbit hole of affirmation, pledges, and oaths.
Oaths and affirmations are notarial, meaning they are administered by a notary public. The notary public’s role is to verify a document signer’s identity, to witness the signing of a legal document, and to provide an independent check on the mental capacity of the signer.
An oath is a solemn, spoken pledge to God or a Supreme Being, while an affirmation is aspoken pledge made on the individual’s personal honor with no reference to a higher power.
One purpose of the Oath of Office is to remind federal workers that they do not swear allegiance to a supervisor, an agency, a political appointee, or even to the President. The oath is to support and defend the U.S. Constitution and faithfully execute the duties. The intent is to protect the public from a government that might fall victim to political whims and to provide a North Star — the Constitution — as a source of direction.
Probably the earliest pledge we make in our lives is the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag. The first version was written in 1885 by Captain George Thatcher Balch, a Union Army officer in the Civil War. The official name was not adopted until 1945. The most recent alteration of its wording came on Flag Day (June 14) in 1954, when the words “under God” were added.
At about age 10 I joined 4-H in Beaver township. I still vividly recall the 4 H pledge:
“I pledge my head to clearer thinking, my heart to greater loyalty, my hands to larger service, and my health to better living, for my club, my community, my country and my world.”
I imagine many of you readers can recite the pledge, as 4-H was so instrumental in our lives.
Later as I received my cap in the traditional world of nurses wearing caps, I memorized the Nightingale Pledge: I solemnly pledge myself before God and in the presence of this assembly to pass my life in purity and to practice my profession faithfully.
I shall abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous, and shall not take or knowingly administer any harmful drug.
I shall do all in my power to maintain and elevate the standard of my profession and will hold in confidence all personal matters committed to my keeping and all family affairs coming to my knowledge in the practice of my calling.
So, returning to the original question of the wording of the President as they accept the oath of office, the wording is: I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.
I was surprised not to see “so help me God” in the wording, but with research I learned the phrase “So help me God” is prescribed in oaths as early as the Judiciary Act of 1789, for U.S. officers, but not the President.
Military enlisted persons recite the following, “I [state your full 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; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. “So help me God” is optional.
Military Officers have the following:
II, [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; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.
In an interesting postscript embedded beneath the oaths was the following information: The military trains officers to be managers and leaders. They plan missions, provide orders, and assign tasks, while enlisted members are technical experts and leaders that hold the specific skills necessary to complete the mission. Both roles are essential to the military and offer rewarding careers.
I was becoming more curious about the various oaths of office given to our elected officials. The U.S. Senate and House oath at their swearing in: I 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; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.
And attorneys? Every lawyer in the country must be sworn in and take their state’s oath of attorney. This ceremony may seem traditional and mundane, but it has never been more important. This oath binds each attorney to certain professional obligations and requires lawyers to faithfully uphold and support the laws of our state and our country.
I took another oath several years ago while serving on our school board. I did not recall the wording so had to rely upon the Internet: Do you solemnly swear that you will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Iowa and that you will faithfully and impartially to the best of your ability discharge the duties of the office of ……………….. (naming the office) in …………………… (naming the district) as now or hereafter required by law.
While never an officer of the law, I want to bring to this discussion the oath the law enforcement officers take; “to support the Constitution of the United States, their state, and the laws of their agency’s jurisdiction.” Sworn officers also have the responsibility to ensure the safety and quality of life of the communities they serve.
My request to you, as we are barraged with political advertising at this time, is to interact with the candidates. Jefferson Rotary is sponsoring forums for Greene County candidates on Oct. 10 and Statehouse candidates Oct. 15, both at 7 pm at Greene County Elementary School. Use this time to question the candidates’ positions that are important to you. Determine if they will uphold the U.S. Constitution.
VIEW FROM MY WINDOW is written by Mary Weaver from her rural home near Rippey.
