What Oath do you have? Or plan to Keep?
Some Wisconsinites who hold political offices big and small — including a local man — have donated to, or became members of, a right-wing fringe group called the Oath Keepers.
As in the Old School document they will back, and trump, until Kingdom Come. You know. That Constitution thang. Almost to the point of making it into a barroom brawl. Over the binge of information they call best.
But various Oath Keepers, several hundred, have been outed by my old friend and writing colleague, the Milwaukee Journal-sentinel.
Some said that once they found out about the radicalness, stopped giving to the group, or cancelled their membership. Many added they do not vet the value of every group they donate too. (As someone leaning toward the liberal, I do have to say that with time constraints as they are for people these days, needing to vet every group you wanted to donate to could result in very few donations being made, to paraphrase Ben Franklin, no matter how worthy the cause).
— But for now, you wanna go see a local band? And have I been turning my attention to spouting too much political crap, but not of the quality, necessarily, of Rage Against The Machine? So I guess I’ve been a real Heartbreaker. That band plays the Willow River Saloon in Burkhardt on Saturday night, and its name by song and album and band covers all the usual genres, and I’m guessing you’ll hear them all referenced. But still tonight (Friday) … I’ll let the story about what is apparently a very new addition to the lineup, such as it is, be told by a 63-year-old Hudsonite who I just met minutes ago at Ziggy’s. “I am having over a friend from south Minnesota, so we just had to go out and first time see the Dweebs here.” She added that their founder is of a kindred age group. So never too old to rock says I, at age 61. —
But back to the oath to rock I’ve taken, and how it compares to theirs, since we often go by sound-byte phrases these days, to me the Keeper’s response — and we are not talking the Master Keeper referenced by Black Sabbath — sounds a lot like, ignorance of the law …
So as I see it, the ilk that is shown in extremes by the Oath Keepers is not one that will tolerate a do-over.
When a bad choice is made. So do as I say, not as I do.
What would they remark to a woman who became pregnant at a very early age, and has her life abruptly changed, for the rest of it. One might draw in, into her suddenly weighty shoes, what Planned group would the Man have her turn to? And on and on …
“So make a new plan Stan … don’t need to be coy … and get yourself free.”
The response? He refused, at least initially when called on the carpet, to cancel membership with any group defending the Constitution of the United States of America. Have your cake and eat it too? And did not attend a meeting that he would have presided over where it was to be discussed, citing mental health reasons. More in a later post on the record of certain extreme conservative politicians, and yes liberals too, concerning certain medically disabling conditions. Not in their backyard. (Can you cut the mustard? Gotta catchup.)
But for now, that old constitution thing. Can any document stand the test of time so much that it is not now or ever time for a redo? Or at least a revision? Or two? Relatively? I reference another obviously dated and officially approved act. Should it still be considered active? In favor of amendment? Or any of a number of sorta-synonims. The proclamation — much more recent as drawn up in the 1860s, I think, and since I can’t remember, how much sway does it and should it hold — is about how the western half of what would be the United States should be divvied up amongst various nations competing purely for land, by using their pocketbooks, the cheap and the pricey. Everything that side of Texas. So this is/was big. Look at just the sheer land mass and the size of the cowboy hats over some of the space but not all. But should it now be anything more than a footnote?
This purchase as the act was termed, was before the (resurgance?) of California — it was an ordeal to even get there but not yet an otherwise big deal — so referenced by how its portrayed by the metal band Tool — required listening. The big and tall geographic behemoth then was only a territory, I believe, so it was basically liquidated. See how time flies? And sways? How we should think?
I will say this as one reason some of the oath Keepers and their membership ilk have gotten an ouch. With today’s social media, people need to be careful of such things as how they throw around their money and ideas. People will know until after your dying days. This new media has staying power beyond that ever seen and it’s not just scantily-clad dancers strutting their stuff how get exposed for time immortal. Its not like when you used to write out a check (remember that?) to AARP, and once you threw away your bank statement all who knew, of any importance were basically your teller, if she’s got a good memory, and maybe the auditor or IRS. But even if your donation was made before the heyday of Facebook and all it ilk, you should not fork over your dough if only you want your hairdresser and a few others to know.