Soldiers risk their lives, and sometimes they lose them, defending the U.S. Constitution

[Tom Rinaldo]

And they earn a hell of a lot less money in their paychecks each month than do U.S. Senators, who have the legal authority to subject our military to grave threats on their lives. With extremely rare exceptions, no Ex United States Senator will ever face food insecurity, or possible homelessness, after they leave office, nor suffer from any severe disabilitie as a direct consequence of their service to our nation in Congress.

Soldiers swear an oath of loyalty to America, and should they be asked to, they will charge up a hill under fire to uphold it. Fear of maiming or death does not relieve them of their obligation, and should they refuse to uphold their mission they can face imprisonment as a consequence.

United States Senators swear an oath to uphold our Constitution. In so doing they face the possible risk of losing reelection, should honoring that oath prove unpopular with their constituents. Unlike most Americans who lose their jobs, Ex U.S. Senators qualify for good pensions.

How the hell did our society devolve to the point where we fully expect typical Americans serving in the military to risk their very lives in order to defend our democracy, but take if for granted that privileged members of our political class will violate their oath of office if upholding it might put their reelection at risk?

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

1. Ask the Veterans on this site...

The Soldier’s Oath still resonates strongly with most Vets.

Does with me.

[Tom Rinaldo]

3. I don't doubt that for an instant

And I am deeply grateful of that. America is blessed to have a military motivated by devoted service to our nation and fealty to civilian leadership, not to the direct pursuit of power and conquest. That deeply felt sense of duty served our nation well, without it Trump would have sought the use of the military to prop up his regime.

[dware]

4. Does for me also,

that oath has defined my life, military and civilian.

[sarisataka]

6. It has been several years since I last took my oath

But I do not recall it being "as long as I am on duty". It was quite open ended

[Karadeniz]

2. Pathetic situation... Thanks for the post!

[Tom Rinaldo]

5. Your welcome. Congress folk display POLITICAL courage when they support an unpopular tax hike

I'll grant that there is something to be said for political courage. But when the United States faces a direct threat to our democracy, when coordinated efforts are made to subvert free elections, when an insurrectionist mob invades our Capital and comes close to assassinating our leaders, the threat far transcends politics and shakes the foundations of our national security.

I'll praise the likes of Liz Cheney for showing political courage in voting to impeach a president of her own party, but that should be the lowest of principled bars to clear since that President literally incited an insurrection. Every member of the Capital police who risked their lives to defend our Congress showed more courage than is being asked of Senators who now might risk casting an unpopular vote to uphold our Constitution, by convicting Donald Trump