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What would YOU swear your oath of office over
My wife and I, thanks to a cancelled political meeting and an already arranged babysitter, recently had a chance to be by ourselves without kids for a couple of hours. This is so rare these days!
We were discussing my article on European headscarf bans and started discussing xenophobe Republican Virgil Goode's fear of incoming Muslim Congressman Keith Ellison's wanting to swear his oath of office on a Q'ran. Honestly, I think Ellison's use of a Q'ran once owned by Thomas Jefferson is about the most American of acts one can imagine, embracing both our tradition and our diversity. But Virgil Goode seems terrified of Muslims.
My wife then shifted the discussion to just what would WE swear our oath of office on. She suggested Hunter S. Thompson's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. For me it would have to be something more appropriate. I guess if it was school board, I'd swear on my copy of Darwin's Voyage of the Beagle. If it was another position I'd probably choose the appropriate doncument like the city charter for City Council or state or Federal constitution for those governing bodies.
But let me ask YOU: What would YOU swear your oath of office on? Also, does it HAVE to be a book/document? Could one swear their oath of office on a bottle of Jack Daniels or on a Tom Waits CD? What kind of object is worthy of swearing an oath of office on?
Discuss!
Do not swear
Why am I quoting the Bible? It is to point out the hypocrisy behind all of this. This passage makes it clear that Christians must not swear on a Bible, or by any other thing. Anyone who does otherwise is either an ignoramus or a hypocrite.
So how did this get started? George Washington, in taking his oath of office as our first President in 1789, decided to put his hand on a Bible. Oops!
(By the way, the words, "So help me, God," aren't in the oath -- Washington added that phrase too.)
If I am ever required to take an oath of office, you can bet my left hand will be at my side.
I swear it.
Washington
This goes to show that politicians have been hypocritical even when they are national heros and founding fathers. Washington used to get dragged to church by his wife but would refuse to take part in any prayer or rituals. When chastised for it by the minister, he stopped going to church.
Washington's daughter insisted that she'd never seen him pray.
Yet he swears on a bible.
It's a tough choice, but I'd.....
go with one of these three. 1-Marx's Critique of the Gotha Program, which is a model for how to make political criticisms--the opposite of calling opponents "motherfuckers," or worse. 2-Gilbert Shelton's collected Wonder Wart Hog. The "hog of steel" is a worthy role model for kids. 3-A Whitman's Sampler. To counteract the drive toward school-approved bulemia in the lower grades. I particularly recommend the toffee mocha-creme.