The Obama Administration through the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) has rewritten the oath new citizens are required to recite renouncing previous allegiances and declaring their loyalty to and defense of the United States and the Constitution of the United States of America.
The requirement that new citizens swear to defend the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic through military service has been stripped out of the oath watering down the duty of every citizen to fight, when called upon through force of arms if necessary, to secure freedom for ourselves and our posterity.
Quoting new USCIS guidance on the oath:
“Effective July 21, 2015, new guidance (PA-2015-001) in the USCIS Policy Manual clarifies the eligibility requirements for modifications to the Oath of Allegiance. Reciting the Oath is part of the naturalization process.
Candidates for citizenship normally declare that they will “bear arms on behalf of the United States” and “perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States” when required by the law.
A candidate may be eligible to exclude these two clauses based on religious training and belief or a conscientious objection,” an email from USCIS clarifying the requirements states.”
In addition, new citizens:
“May be eligible for modifications based on religious training and belief, or conscientious objection arising from a deeply held moral or ethical code.
Is not required to belong to a specific church or religion, follow a particular theology or belief, or to have had religious training in order to qualify.
May submit, but is not required to provide, an attestation from a religious or other type of organization, as well as other evidence to establish eligibility.”
Although the U.S. currently has an all voluntary military, a draft could be instituted during times of emergency as was the case in World War I, World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.
In the absence of a draft, citizens are not required by law to serve, but these new exemptions are highly alarming because it opens a wide range of exemptions people could cite to legally avoid military service in defense of the nation going forward.
In effect, men and women of military age can refuse to serve for any and all reasons without having to declare the religious, moral, ethical or other grounds that inform their refusal to serve.
To be fair, the United States has always allowed for exceptions to combat based on religious convictions (Quakers) so long as those invoking the exception make themselves available for non-combat duty. The new oath removes this requirement and allows naturalized citizens to refuse service altogether for any reason.
Mohammad Youssuf Abdulazeez, the Islamic terrorist who killed four Marines and a Navy sailor in Chattanooga, Tennessee last week, took the “old oath” to become a naturalized citizen.
