No justification for monstrous scandal

Tell me fellow Alaska residents, wouldn’t you say a bill to directly support, defend and honor the Alaska and U.S. constitutions should have been given some priority by the state Legislature and governor? Wouldn’t you say such a bill should have been included in any special session if deliberations on it were incomplete at regular session end?

It may surprise you, but current political posturing and fanfare over fighting for the wellbeing of all Alaskans has concealed government hypocrisy toward this common sense. I speak of Rep. Wes Keller’s House Bill 8 — a bill to establish procedures and processes for the state to enforce the 10th Amendment in the event of unconstitutional federal laws, regulations and executive orders by the federal government. Though it passed by the House with a super majority, the Senate tabled it at the last minute in its first committee of referral. In other words, it was brushed off and buried by the Senate, necessitating introducing it from scratch next year.

Consider that upon being questioned, literally any teenaged or adult Alaskan — conservative, liberal or Libertarian — can produce an issue of federal government power grab or federal encroachment on state or individual citizen rights that they are aware of and object to.

Experiment yourself and see! Yet, your Legislature and governor has condoned treating an attempt to address this as if it were inconsequential, or worse, legislative garbage.

Consequently, I wish to air the issue of the validity of any oath of office of nearly any elected or appointed public official. To introduce the matter, I quote my testimony to the House Finance Committee on the ethical rationale for making HB 8 law.

“Your oath of office reads: ‘I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the state of Alaska, and that I will faithfully discharge my duties as (blank) to the best of my ability.’

“What constitutes visible evidence that this oath is being exercised — particularly as (it) regards the U.S. Constitution? Can any of you honestly show a significant instance in this legislative session where you directly supported or defended the U.S. Constitution against opposition? Defense or support by definition means extraordinary effort.

“Is submissively passing state law to acquire begging rights for federal money defending and supporting the Constitution? Hardly. This is merely using infrastructure and tradition to follow a path of least resistance to gratify constituents.

“Is dogfighting for state funds for your district defending and supporting the Constitution? Hardly. This most directly supports and defends your bid for the popularity necessary for re-election — never mind that constitutional rape can produce popularity just as well as honoring the wisdom-based processes for long-term national welfare that are embedded in our Constitution.

“Is passing the buck to the U.S. Supreme Court — every time a constitutionally suspect government or corporate act disturbs public complacency — supporting and defending the Constitution? Hardly. This is ceding the entire responsibility for the Constitution’s support and defense to nine federally appointed people, who are naturally biased from the prejudices of federal precedents and leaders.

“What good is your oath of office if the bureaucracy initiated by constitutional application runs you and Alaska instead of you and Alaska helping to run it? We Alaskans conduct a lot of whining about destructive encroachment by the federal government. HB 8 is a clear support and defense of the Ninth and 10th amendments that does something about it.”

I assert that political oaths of office are all too often cheap window dressing for institutionalized bribery and blackmail of the people, scandalously using government’s monopoly of force constitutionally granted it. Test this assertion by simply looking for specific, direct acts of support and defense of our constitutions by any politician, public office holder or political candidate. Look for tangible reality — and don’t get overwhelmed by propagandized images, deceptive speeches and invalidations of public capability to think.

To illustrate how needed HB 8 is, I publicly charge each of the three U.S. government branches with contempt of Constitution, and its constituent personnel collectively with oath breaking.

The Supreme Court, in deciding corporations have unlimited rights to influence elections with their money, has delivered another Dred Scott decision (where the court held slavery was constitutional). Corporations don’t and can’t vote, so they have no right to citizen powers.

Congress, as the American people’s representation, has effectively ceded its powers to ultimately decide the course of this nation — and members’ responsibility to provide for liberty and justice for all — to the Executive Branch’s discretion and judgment. Thus, members of Congress have made the president a virtual king by historical definition. Similarly, they have made the president’s minions into virtual nobility and their supporting bureaucracy into “protective” people-masters.

The presidency, using unconstitutionally granted or stolen powers of war and policing for our “protection,” is now an elected monarchy. Historically as such, it is fatally vulnerable to corruption from prejudice, disinformation, bribery and blackmail.

Worse conditions elsewhere in the world do not justify this monstrous scandal.

Stuart Thompson lives in Wasilla.