Letter: Oaths, pledges and vows

Published: 10-08-2024 2:56 PM

Most of us take an oath or  pledge seriously.

The Pledge of Allegiance we all know by heart ends with “one nation, under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.”

The oath of office for the president, senators, members of Congress and all federal employees reads,  “I 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 signers of the Declaration of Independence pledged to each other that “With a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.”

The marriage vow states, “to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, for  richer, for poorer, to love and to cherish, ’til  death do us part, according to God’s holy Ordinance; and thereto I pledge thee my faith.”

It’s inconceivable to think that Donald Trump would ever, willingly, pledge his life, money or sacred honor for America, as the signers did. 

I can picture Trump with one hand on his heart while saying the Pledge of Allegiance, one hand on the Bible while reciting the Oath of Office and finally one hand holding the hand of each of his three wives while repeating his marriage vows, while his other hand is behind his back with his fingers crossed.

Stan Zabierek

New Ipswich