To Protect And Defend
When I was released from jail in Fort Lauderdale, one of the things that really cheered me up was going online and reading the replies to all the news articles about my story.
Everybody’s comments were overwhelmingly positive in my favor. Of the few negative comments I received, there was one that just made me laugh. It was posted by someone hiding behind the name “busted1” on the azFamily website.
Busted1 wrote…
“It’s just like his kind to hide behind the Constitution to justify his crimes”
I had to wonder how many people saw the ignorance and stupidity in his statement. I mean, here’s someone acknowledging that I have God-given rights guaranteed by The Supreme Law Of The Land and that I’m somehow “hiding” behind those rights.
“Busted1” went on to inform people that the Constitution was written over 200 years ago and that it is pretty much outdated and meaningless today.
I initially dismissed his statement as ignorance. I understand that most Americans don’t get what role the Constitution plays in our lives. Most don’t understand that it spells out the fact that we have God-given rights that no government can EVER take away from us. Most don’t understand that it’s the one tool we’ve got to keep government intrusion out of our lives.
But, there are a few of us who SHOULD know.
Me, for example. 25 years ago I took an oath to protect and defend the Constitution Of The United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. I made sure to understand exactly what that oath meant and I took it seriously. As far as I know, that oath didn’t have an expiration date.
Judges take the oath too. The Constitution is the very core of their job. They should understand it’s significance in our lives better than anyone.
Cops take the oath. They swear to protect and defend the Constitution. They deal with it every day and their entire job revolves around protecting our rights. You would think that a cop should fully understand the rights guaranteed to us by the Constitution.
So, when I found out that “Busted1” was none other than Chris Keipert, the Chandler AZ cop who was the lead investigator on my case, his ignorance wasn’t funny any more, it was scary.
I’m not sure what’s scarier – the fact that we have judges taking an oath to protect the Constitution and then totally ignoring it in our courtrooms, or the fact that we have clueless, ignorant cops taking the oath and then saying that the Constitution is meaningless.
I absolutely love the Barney Fife clip, perfect way to end your post. You have a very worthy cause, keep at it! I wish you all the best. There is no place for Ritalin and the like in healthy young children.
It’s disgusting. I hope this is the catalyst for awareness!
Jim needs to get in touch with Stephen Baskerville, FAST:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Baskerville
http://www.amazon.com/Taken-into-Custody-Fatherhood-Marriage/dp/1581825943
Please re-post and send it on to Jim.