We have all pledged allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. But what is a flag? It is mere thread, stitching and colored dye. It is a mere symbol. What we are pledging allegiance to is the Republic! The Republic, for which the flag once stood.
John Adams wrote, “A republic is an empire of laws, not men.” A republic’s ruler is the law; its ruler is the rule of law. And no law is more supreme in this land than the U.S. Constitution; its subjects are princes and paupers alike.
Yet we have elected representatives to our federal government whose first official act of office is to lie. They place their hand upon the holy bible, and make the most sacred of oaths to defend the Constitution against all foes, both foreign and domestic. Yet they turn around, almost immediately, and break it. They are the domestic foes.
Beware the representative who comes to you touting a staunchly conservative voting record, giving lip service to the Constitution. What you should instead hear is, “I am perfectly willing to discharge my duty to uphold the constitution when politically and ideologically expedient.”
If the tea party movement is to be about anything, it must be about restoring the Republic; it must be about reestablishing the Constitution as the supreme law of the land. But here forth lies our challenge: We must be as willing to oppose unconstitutional legislation or action rooted in conservative ideology, as we are willing to oppose unconstitutional legislation or action rooted in liberal ideology. If not, we are no better than they are. If not, the Constitution will continue to be relegated to a mere relic, and we shall forever be an empire of men, not law.
