In a letter to the editor, Jersey City resident and U.S. Marine Corps veteran Ramon Aponte explains why he feels our public servants need to uphold their oaths of office and “denounce these insurrectionists.”
Dear Editor,
Every person who has ever served in the United States military has been given the oath of
enlistment or office (for military officers) before gaining entry to their respective military
branches.
Before administering the oath, the new recruits are reminded of its significance in order for them to understand what they are swearing to.
Part of the oath states that they will swear to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.”
Although it further states that, “I will obey the orders of the President of the United States,” the oath does not discuss defending a person, but rather the values and beliefs of
our Constitution.
In fact, subjects who violate the oath are held accountable for their actions under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ).
Similar oaths are administered to public servants, such as elected government officials,
law enforcement officers, and firefighters, to name a few.
The common denominator of these oaths is the willingness to affirm dedication in defending the Constitution of the United States.
Public servants are also obligated to defend their state’s constitution, which mirrors the values and beliefs of the US Constitution. Public officials who violate their oath, can be held
accountable through sanctions as well removal of their public office(s).
It is appalling that there are individuals who have taken this solemn oath (which is based on values in providing democracy for all its citizens) then willfully violated that oath when they participated in the insurrection that occurred on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.
Several states are reporting compelling evidence that both military and public servants took part or stood by on the sideline looking on.
It is also distressful to hear reports that institutions related to public safety are investigating their departments to ensure none of their members were involved.
We as citizens entrust people to uphold the law for the sake of ensuring not only national
security relating to foreign affairs, but also national security related to domestic affairs.
Yet people like Larry Rendell Brock, an Air Force veteran, have forgotten or failed to uphold his oath. People like Derrick Evens, newly elected public official of West Virginia, have forgotten or failed to uphold his oath.
People wearing US military logos, and others waving the “Thin Blue Line” flag, have either forgotten what these symbols represent or have failed to adhere to the oaths which these institutions were built from.
It is shameful to see that while Capitol Police were struggling with these insurrectionists, being kicked, punched, and sprayed with pepper spray, there were public servants nearby who failed to act.
There are many ways to voice our grievances and hold our public officials accountable
other than engaging in acts of violence and vandalizing our nation’s Capitol.
Not only are these actions a waste of our taxpaying dollars, but they are also harmful to our values and beliefs in democracy.
I write this letter to call on my fellow service veterans, members, and public servants to denounce these insurrectionists and to remind you of our obligation to uphold the oath we took to defend to our country.
Ramon Aponte
Gunnery Sergeant
USMC (Veteran)
Jersey City native
Well said, Brother.
It is very sad, but very necessary that the military and law enforcement assets being brought to protect the new POTUS and VPOTUS are being vetted by the appropriate agencies to insure they are not already weaponized by ideology or association with hate groups that seek to prevent the newly elected President and Vice President from rightfully and constitutionally being sworn in on January 20th. Veterans and some law enforcement have already been identified as having taken part in the Infamous January 6th Insurrection on our Nation’s Capital. Sadly, an Egyptian Army Lieutenant led a hate filled group of Egyptian soldiers which assassinated Anwar Sadat on October 6, 1981 during an Egyptian Military Parade. Trump could very possibly prevent this possibility from ever becoming actualized by acknowledging that it was HE who bears FULL RESPONSIBILITY for the actions of the January 6 mob – See Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney’s take on who is responsible. He could also FINALLY acknowledge that he lost his re-election FAIR AND SQUARE. If he did this, he could then actually pardon all who participated in the January 6th Insurrection. And face the consequences of his own culpability. This would go a long way in healing our Nation. But sadly, it appears he will throw his own most ardent supporters under the bus and attempt to pardon himself. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham ( a former prosecutor)very recently said that Trump should not pardon those that stormed the capital on January 6. Surely he must also mean that Trump should also then NOT pardon himself.
This op ed is hilarious. You talk about honoring your Oath GySgt. Aponte. If you bother to read your Oath, you would know that you swore to uphold the Constitution of the United States of America. How are you upholding the Constitution when you enforce Unconstitutional Gun Laws that are in direct conflict with the 2nd Amendment of the Constitution of the United States as a Jersey City Police Officer? You know who else enforced tyrannical gun laws? the British Redcoats the Founding Fathers put in the ground in the name of freedom. You are nothing but a Democrat Traitor Mercenary that will do anything for a paycheck. STFU Oathbreaker.
And Air Force Veteran Ashli Babbit did not uphold her oath of enlistment when she violated the sanctity and security of the Capitol Building. That she tried to breach an inner chamber door on Capitol Hill while a duly appointed law enforcement officer had his gun drawn to protect the Congress, was suicidal on her part. And by the way, go ahead and read the 2nd Amendment in its entirety. The right to keep and bear arms is predicated on the need of a well regulated militia for defense.Furthermore, keeping something does not automatically confer or infer ownership of same.
So I’m guessing you didn’t read too much into the 2nd Amendment because you conveniently left out the part that says “the right of the people to KEEP and BEAR arms SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED” Yes it does state a well regulated militia, but if you bother to do some research, after the Philadelphia Convention of 1787 in where our Constitution was formed, the founders universally agreed that the militia referred to the individual and NOT a Collective of Troops. To them, the modern form of what is today considered the National Guard was no better than a standing army and that is something they were 100% against. You see the individual is the militia, that’s why it says “the right of the people to KEEP and BEAR arms shall not be infringed” do you know what the definition of an infringement is? I can tell you that what Officer Aponte ,who is also the author of this joke of an oped, does every single day as a NJ Law Enforcer by enforcing unconstitutional gun laws is the definition of an infringement. People like him and you have been conditioned by your Democrat overlords to selectively remember history to justify your evil actions. I’m not surprised, most areas run by Democrats like NJ, NY, CA etc have law enforcement officers that break their oaths to the constitution daily by enforcing unconstitutional laws that infringe upon the rights of citizens. Pretty sure the Founding Fathers if they were alive today would’ve considered them to be the enemy as well…. Fellow Army Vet that takes his Oath to the Constitution seriously and actually understands the Constitution as well as the Founding Fathers intentions when forming it.
“Live Free or Die, Death is not the worst of evils”- General John Stark, Continental Army 1809
And your Savior POTUS 45 encouraged your group to storm the Capitol and then threw you under the bus. Militia absolutely refers to more than one soldier. The NRA is not only fiscally bankrupt, but morally bankrupt. Even Associate Justice Scalia acknowledged that there should be regulations on assault weapons. Your ideology prevents you from utilizing critical thinking skills. The pen always must be mightier than the sword, or your firearm.
Is this the same Ramon Aponte that illegally detained a citizen exercising his 1st Amendment Right to film in public? And now he wants to pen an op ed about upholding “Oaths” , LOL what a HYPOCRITE!
Watch for yourself
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=azWRY3AeNpk
The Officer in this vehicle did well. The person taking the video has no connection to the motorist who was being addressed by the officer. The cell phone actor was the instigator with no legitimate purpose of inserting himself into the business of the Officer doing his job. Since the cell phone cameraman would not mind his own business and truthfully answer the officer’s legitimate questions, and refused to show I.d., he had every right to detain him, which is not the same as being arrested, until his sergeant arrived.
The fact that you are justifying the illegal and unconstitutional actions of Officer Aponte says everything I need to know about mr “Army Veteran”. You were most likely a Blue Falcon when you were in and now you’re a Bootlicker. You probably would’ve loved living in Nazi Germany where the Gestapo could’ve stopped anyone for no reason other than to see their papers… Filming in public is not a crime, it is a constitutionally protected activity and does not give anyone the right to stop or detain you but I can’t expect someone as Constitutionally illiterate as yourself to understand that…
Funny when anyone dares to point out considerations contrary to your mindset, you lash out with invectives. The fact of the matter is that the cell phone man was potentially interfering with a police officer in the course of his job. Lecture someone else about your fantasy and false assumptions. Was MacArthur right to physically attack Veterans of WWI who came to DC peacefully during the Great Depression to try and get their Congressionally mandated bonuses (passed over President Coolidge’s veto) a few years early? We can agree to disagree but we can do so in a civil manner.