For a while I’ve wanted a tattoo, but I’ve been up in air because of my terrible needle phobia. What I have always thought about getting was the earth on fire looking like a comet. Well, it didn’t really mean anything to me, I just thought that it looked neat. Well…I think that I’m narrowing down what I’d get.
If you know me, you know that I’m one patriotic SOB. I love this country, the flag, our history, and the people that make up the US. I choose political science to study because I loved studying about what made our country click and work. Yes, we are not without our faults, but there is no where else I would rather live. This summer I took the Oath of Office when I was received my commission.
“I, (state your name), having been appointed an officer in the Army of the United States, in the grade of Second Lieutenant, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of The United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter. So help me God. “
It’s the same Oath that all officers take upon commissioning in the US Armed forces and it’s more powerful than simple words spoken with my right hand raised. If you notice in the Oath, there is no mention of the President, Congress, the flag or anything like that. The Oath of Office is unique because you don’t swear allegiance to a king, a president or some other person. It is my guarantee that I will do everything in my power to defend the Constitution and what it stands for. The Oath is my promise to this country that I will support the ideals that we were founded upon.
The idea of Oaths is not new, and has been in place for thousands of years. For a good history of it, check out http://www.airpower.maxwell.af.mil/airchronicles/apj/apj02/win02/keskel.html . Ultimately, it is this Oath and my love for this country that is driving my decision for the tattoo. So….I’ve decided that I want something along the lines of the preamble to the Constitution “We the People” along with some form of the flag.
Not sure what the flag would look like, but “We the People” would be under it or something. I’d like to keep the same font, that it was written in on the Constitution, since it is pretty easily identifiable.
Ultimately, it fits the qualifications that I would want a tattoo to have…that being something that has meaning and importance to me. Yeah, I could just get tribal art or something around my arm, or Chinese characters on my neck, or any number of things….but how many people have taken an Oath to these things? How many have swore to protect their picture of a nude lady on their bicep?
Now for the hard part…actually photo shopping the images together so that it looks good. Unfortunately I’m pretty left brain, so I can’t draw very well…so here is to hoping that I get lucky and throw something decent together.
