Oath Takers

by L. Douglas Hogan

  DEDICATION

  This book is dedicated to the American oath taker, wherever he or she may be. It was written for you, my brothers and sisters of the Oath. Our mutual pledge to this country and its Constitution is to forever uphold its truth that all men are created equal and are given natural rights. Our pledge to this ideal binds us and reveals in us the true character of America.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  I would like to acknowledge my wife, Andrea, who continually encouraged me more than she knows; my brother, James, who regularly lit the fire in me by proposing ulterior views that pushed me back to the keyboard time and time again; my best friend of the ‘90s, Jason, who helped to teach me commitment and has himself remained as faithful and true to his oath as I have; G. Michael Hopf, best-selling author of the post-apocalyptic New World series, for inspiring me into believing that it’s possible to achieve a dream; my mom, Patty, and an innumerable multitude of friends and associates for continuous encouragement; and certainly not last, the Lord Jesus for making this country possible and putting within myself, and every oath taker, specific skill sets and ideals of commitment designed to maintain a free country.

  CONTENTS

  FOREWORD

  PROLOGUE

  THE OATH

  ON OUR FORM OF GOVERNMENT

  ON SECURING AND PRESERVING ITS CONTENTS

  REGULATION NATION

  A CLOSE CALL

  CONTEXTITUTION

  THE U.S. CONSTITUTION

  THE BILL OF RIGHTS

  JUSTICE SHOULD BE BLIND AND LADY LIBERTY’S EYES ARE DIM

  OF WOLVES & MEN

  ORGANIZING

  RUMORS & PETITIONS

  OF MORAL CLARITY

  FIRST FREEDOM

  EXECUTIVE ORDERS & THE CONSTITUTION

  RACISM & LIBERTY

  CONTRASTING A DIVIDED AMERICA

  FROM THE BOTTOM UP

  WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT, ARMY, NAVY, AIR FORCE & MARINES

  SOME FINAL THOUGHTS ON DEMOCRACY

  THE COCKROACH THEORY

  ADDENDUMS

  LEADERSHIP IN DIFFICULT TIMES

  PROFESSIONALISM IN DIFFICULT TIMES

  MINEFIELDS

  EPILOGUE

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  FOREWORD

  When I received the request from my longtime friend Doug Hogan to write the foreword for his first book, I was a little surprised. Who asks someone who is neither eminent in any field nor well known to write the foreword for their very first book? The point of this thing is, after all, to whet the potential reader’s appetite and to draw them into the book, and let’s be honest, that is done more often than not by hooking you, the reader, with the celebrity status of the person who wrote it! As I thought about it, however, I realized that this is typical Doug.

  Douglas Hogan doesn’t really do anything in his life for recognition. There’s really no reason to believe that his first book would be any different. Douglas Hogan invests himself heavily into everything he does, and everything he does is done for other people, and that’s a fact. In any case, he wasn’t looking for a celebrity to do this, but rather, for the very type of person he wants to communicate with through this book: An average American and an Oath Taker.

  In the two-plus decades that I’ve known Doug, he’s been many things. What I’ve noticed about him though, is that just about everything he’s done (both personally and professionally) has prepared him with a wealth of experience with which to write this book.

  Douglas is a U.S. Marine. I say “is” because as any Marine will tell you, once you earn that title you’re always a Marine. The Marine Corps is actually where I met Doug more than twenty years ago. Like a lot of Marines, I’d say most Marines in fact, he wasn’t there for an easy ride and he surely wasn’t there to get rich. No, Douglas Hogan is a patriot and at the time, he saw the Corps, as the best way available to him, to serve the nation and the people he loves. He is the epitome of the Marine Corps motto: Semper Fidelis. He has always been, and (I truly believe) will always be, faithful.

  Douglas is also a police officer; out on the streets and doing a job that most of us would rather not have to do, usually while you and I are safe and warm in bed. Doug is the cop that you want to interact with (if you have to at all). He was the guy behind the badge who is concerned about your rights as an American citizen far more than he is concerned with writing a ticket or making an arrest.

  Above all, though, Douglas Hogan is a family man. Why does that qualify him to write this book? Well, being a family man myself, I know what a powerful motivator it can be. In fact, there really isn’t a better reason I can think of for a man to want to ensure prosperity and security for his country than to be able to pass something worthwhile on to his children.

  Douglas has spent his entire adult life serving his countrymen. During that time he has come to realize what many of us are aware of as well:

  At no time in our American history has our nation ever been in greater danger than that in which we find ourselves now. Integrity seems to be all but gone at every level of government. The bulwarks that have sustained the separation of powers within the various branches of the federal government have been chipped away at until we can almost watch them crumbling before our eyes. Social issues are the hot-topics of the day throughout government at every echelon of government, but the attention is paid to those societal concerns at the expense of the national economy, foreign affairs, and our own national security.

  The result is a nation in trouble. The real threat is not external however; there are no hordes massing outside the borders (at least no organized ones), no armies on the march, no coalitions arrayed against us. The threat is far more subtle and far more deadly to us as a nation than those things. The real threat to America today is apathy. Apathy caused by moral decay, by fear, and by frustration. Apathy brought on by a feeling of being powerless to stem the tide. But it isn’t over yet.

  What you have here, my fellow Patriot is a book written by the average American for the average American. This book is a call to return to our American roots; to remember our heritage and birthright. Most importantly, it is a reminder that our oaths are binding, and we have a responsibility to ourselves and our posterity to honor them. Douglas Hogan writes in a style that is both direct and candid. No words are minced; there is no “beating around the bush” or “tip-toeing through tulips”. Douglas says what he means, and his incredible passion is ample evidence that he means what he says.

  It’s typical Doug.

  - Jason Tibbet GySgt, USMC (ret)

  PROLOGUE

  “I have sworn upon the altar of God, eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.” —Thomas Jefferson

  Our Constitution has been under attack in recent years. It has been called “outdated” and “obsolete.” There are those in both the front lines and in the rear disregarding their oath and the meaning of our Constitution. Whether it’s out of ignorance, or if there’s a much more sinister reason, it has to stop. The freedoms of every individual in America is at stake.

  I am a U.S. Marine, a law enforcement officer, and a security guard. I’ve been married for twenty-two years and have two children. I have spent the last twenty-plus years serving my country in various capacities. I am a man who loves his nation and holds true to its core documents and the deep abiding principles for which they stand.

  I have struggled, in my own way, to keep up the fight and to protect the precious assets of the doctrines in the U.S. Constitution and the context in which they were written. There are two documents in my life that have guided me in the making of good moral judgments and in keeping of good moral values: the Constitution and the Bible; the former being a document written on the foundations of the latter.

 
Let me premise this note by saying I am not come to convert you to Christianity through this book. I have deep Christian foundations and am a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but this is about our future as Americans, and I will be focusing on the issues that undermine our Constitution. I will be addressing the oaths taken by those who defend our America. Those of you who serve on the front lines of oblivion; that place where light collides with darkness; where good is versus evil. That place where the very best of America meets the very worst. I want to address issues within our country that cause great rifts between ideologies that threaten our way of life. I want to call out every American that has ever sworn an oath. You know who you are and I want to make sure that you have not, or will not lose your way, and if you have, you do not embody the American spirit but have become a part of the problem that is afflicting our country. Return to the path, and walk the trails that have been tread before you. They are the paths that our forefathers blazed. The paths that rooted themselves in tyranny and government overreach but blossomed into Liberty trees through the shedding of blood, sacrifice, and all manner of selflessness.

  The threat this country faces is greater than any foreign invader. It is greater than any military of any land. It is a force equal to that of a great pendulum swinging in the opposite direction. This pendulum is one that threatens America’s existence. The scariest part: it swings within the nation itself. Our nation is waning as the pendulum begins its descent in the opposite direction with a force equal to its opposite.

  I have identified several factors precipitating the downward spiral in which we find our country falling. Each of these factors, I will break down into topics. The nature in which these topics will be addressed is dependent upon you, the reader.

  Within these pages, you will find writings on the history of our country, quotes from our forefathers, the documents that govern our existence as Americans, principles of leadership, the subversion of American rights, racism, hard choices, preparedness, and what is expected of an OATH TAKER.

  THE OATH

  There are various levels of oath takers; some of them hide behind the ones that stand at the gate, while others go out and confront evil. The lawmakers, the law enforcers, the active duty military, the correctional industry, veterans, firefighters, etc. Many have sworn an oath to their countrymen that they will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.

  Here is a sample oath, most likely the very oath you swore to your country:

  “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.”

  The Constitution does not “evolve” or take shape. It does not change or bend its ideals to the concepts of a changing America. It is America that is to bend to the writings of the Constitution. It simply “is,” and commands great acts and feats to be altered. It cannot be manipulated by an “executive order.” It takes much more than the pen of a single person to change its contents. When you swear an oath, it is to the Constitution. It is not to the government or to some other corruptible entity, such as an executive; it is to the Constitution. If you do not agree with the U.S. Constitution, then there are a host of other countries with different founding documents that you may feel more closely aligned to. Furthermore, if you do not agree with the U.S. Constitution, then this book is not written for you. It is written for those who have already sworn an oath. It is also written for the future oath takers of America. If you are cynical towards our Constitution or you feel that it is “outdated” or worthless, I suggest you stop what you are doing and find another topic of interest. May I recommend A Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels?

  ON OUR FORM OF GOVERNMENT

  The Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the Declaration of Independence hang above my fireplace. I also keep a copy of these articles in my prep bag. They are very dear to me. Not only will I die for their preservation, but I will fight with every fiber in my being to ensure my children and your children grow up with individual freedoms. Not the freedoms elected to them by the majority, or a dictator, of sorts, but individual sovereign freedoms. This is where one may be confused regarding the current status of the United States.

  Our country is currently running as a democracy. It is not written into the Constitution as such. This country was forged to be a republic. Even our Pledge of Allegiance is “to the Republic for which it stands” (referring to the symbol of the U.S. flag). In a republic, the individual American is sovereign to his/her own rights. Rights are vested with each and every individual American, equally. There should be no democracy among the citizens of the United States. In a democracy, the rights are vested in the majority. Where the majority dictate, the rights of the individuals in the minority do not apply. In a democracy, when the majority says “thus and such shall be your rights,” then those are the rights given to you.

  Our Constitution contains a Bill of Rights built into it to insure an everlasting individual freedom. This is why it’s so important to protect, defend, and preserve the Constitution of the United States. I do not pretend to be a Constitutional professor. I’m not even a Constitutional senior lecturer; history shows that these titles don’t mean too much when a country is being managed by educated derelicts with such abbreviations following their names. That’s the beauty of the Constitution. It wasn’t written by the educated for the educated. It was written by patriots that dreamed about a country where every person could be free from an overreaching government, where the government would be the people. It was written by a thirty-three-year-old planter by the name of Thomas Jefferson. The context of the Constitution is in the history of its creation. It was affirmed and voted into writ by a people fresh from the bonds of tyranny. They saw how a king could become corrupted by power and they watched as it happened.

  Though years of intercession to the king went unanswered, it became necessary to fight and die for a great cause. The Constitution was written to permanently eradicate tyranny and to give power to the people of its citizenry. It was written in a time where government was not made up of the people, but rather a government unto itself that was made up of people, but not for the people or by the people. Therein lay the corruptibility of the government. It was through this avenue that the people of the American colonies became victims of their government, and therein lay the reasons the very words were penned:

  “When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.” —The Declaration of Independence, July 4th, 1776

  The oath you swore was to the Constitution. It was not to an evolving form of government. Over the past several decades, a representative democracy has been the norm, but it was not so in the beginning. One of the greatest concerns during the early convention meetings was securing individual freedoms. Therein is the importance of the Bill of Rights. There will be more on that later, but our oaths are to those laws of the Constitution that give rights to sovereign Americans. As oath takers, your job is to ensure that these rights are kept within the confines of the Constitution and not usurping it. It is to make sure no person, foreign or domestic, tramples them. This defense mechanism was built into the Constitution.

  ON SECURING AND PRESERVING ITS CONTENTS

  One method utilized for the preservation of the Constitution is called the Oath of Office. The oath of office dates back to the First Congress of 1789. Of course, the original oath
was reserved for the President. Article II Section 1(8) of the Constitution reads:

  “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, to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

  This oath was later adapted for use in other offices within the United States. The adaptation has been modified through the years. Each time it was done, it was done so with the intention of relieving the States of tyranny and traitors of various sorts. The Civil War saw the most adjustments to the oath. The oath of office is specific to those who choose to subjugate themselves to it. From the time you swear the oath until your death, the oath should be alive in you. There is never an undoing or a time that the oath doesn’t apply. The patriot makes this pledge, to live and to die therein. Choices made later and to the contrary are betrayal.

  We now live in an era where a person “progresses” into more liberal viewpoints and patriotism is subverted into something else. It is now used as a derogatory word to describe people who believe in their individual sovereign rights. Sadly, there are those serving in public office, under oath, calling Americans with guns “domestic terrorists.” Those are the activist politicians pushing gun-control agendas. They find themselves in a conundrum on the opportunity to seize Americans’ firearms, because they know what it would mean. They feel secure making such decisions behind the mantle of America’s military. As if their unconstitutional acts of attrition would be honored by those who have sworn an oath to defend the Constitution, including its Bill of Rights. The very document that grants us our liberties is the same document that binds those in service. Not to the government, but to the Constitution. It binds them to THE PEOPLE.