The oath of Renunciation and Allegiance taken by all aliens as they become U.S. naturalized citizens, no longer aliens, is not to be taken lightly.
Lately, and without changing of the law, the promise to bear arms and perform combat duty on behalf of the United States or perform non combatant service in the armed forces have become optional. It used to be, and the law clearly states you can only opt out of combatant service, and so only for religious belief and training reasons.Without congress changing the law, this is unconstitutional.
This leads to verse 90 of the Obama impeachment song (as if sung by President Barack Hussein Obama to the tune of “Please release me, let me go”)
Take the oath – I changed the score
for aliens coming to our shore.
Do not change – be as before,
I am one of you – and so much more.
The oath of Renunciation and Allegiance: “I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God.”
The law allows changing “on oath” to “affirm” and the omission “so help me God”.
When it comes to bearing arms the law is quite specific:
INA: ACT 337 – OATH OF RENUNCIATION AND ALLEGIANCE
Sec. 337. [8 U.S.C. 1448]
(a) A person who has applied for naturalization shall, in order to be and before being admitted to citizenship, take in a public ceremony before the Attorney General or a court with jurisdiction under section 310(b) an oath
(1) to support the Constitution of the United States;
(2) to renounce and abjure absolutely and entirely all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which the applicant was before a subject or citizen;
(3) to support and defend the Constitution and the laws of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic;
(4) to bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and
(5) (A) to bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law, or
(B) to perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law, or
(C) to perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law. Any such person shall be required to take an oath containing the substance of clauses (1) through (5) of the preceding sentence, except that a person who shows by clear and convincing evidence to the satisfaction of the Attorney General that he is
opposed to the bearing of arms in the Armed Forces of the United States by reason of religious training and belief shall be required to take an oath containing the substance of clauses
(1) through (4) and clauses (5)(B) and (5)(C), and a person who shows by clear and convincing evidence
to the satisfaction of the Attorney General that he is opposed to any type of service in the Armed Forces of the United States
by reason of religious training and belief shall be required to take an oath containing the substance of clauses (1) through (4) and clause (5)(C). The term “religious training and belief” as used in this section shall mean an individual’s belief in a relation to a Supreme Being involving duties superior to those arising from any human relation, but does not include essentially political, sociological, or philosophical views or a merely personal moral code. In the case of the naturalization of a child under the provisions of section 322 of this title the Attorney General may waive the taking of the oath if in the opinion of the Attorney General the child is unable to understand its meaning.
1/ The Attorney General may waive the taking of the oath by a person if in the opinion of the Attorney General the person is unable to understand, or to communicate an understanding of, its meaning because of a physical or developmental disability or mental impairment. If the Attorney General waives the taking of the oath by a person under the preceding sentence, the person shall be considered to have met the requirements of section
316(a)(3) with respect to attachment to the principles of the Constitution and well disposition to the good order and happiness of the United States.
The requirements have been loosened so much that it is now automatic to wave requirements 5A, 5B, and making national importance in clause 5C mean nearly anything. This circumvents the intent and purpose of the oath.
Len Bilén's blog, a blog about faith, politics and the environment. 