Protect and defend

All federal employees swear an oath of office when they assume a position with the federal government. This includes elected employees, members of the military, hired career, and appointed employees of the federal government.

While there are slight differences in the oaths for various positions there is also one constant in all of the oaths. Everyone entering federal service swears to �protect and defend the constitution.� Anyone who violates their oath can be fired for their violation, and if that violation includes violations of law, the employee may be subject to criminal charges and appropriate penalties.

It is the Constitution that defines the United States and sets the standards for those who are employed by the government. It is the most important document in this country, and as the federal oaths say, U.S. citizens have a duty to protect and defend the constitution.

Knowing these facts, I was shocked when President Donald Trump said that if migrants at the southern border throw rocks at troops stationed there, those rocks should be regarded as if they were bullets, implying those U.S. troops should open fire on the migrants.

The president of the United States was ordering the U.S. military to open fire on women and their children and unarmed men. This act would be a violation of both U.S. and international law, and senior military officials stated they would not obey orders to fire upon unarmed civilians. To be fair, it must be noted that then the president issued new orders that changed the procedures for actions with immigrants seeking entry into the U.S.

In another �border� issue, the president claims the 14th amendment is unconstitutional, and he would end birthright citizenship with an executive order. Apparently, he does not understand no president can change the Constitution. Any change requires ratification by the states. One would expect the president to have at least a basic knowledge of the Constitution.

Jack Dragoni attended Boston College and served in the U.S. Army in Berlin and Vietnam. He lives in Chaffee, Missouri.