“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.”– Oath of Office, US Constitution, Article II, section 1, paragraph 8.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute a new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. –Thomas Jefferson, Declaration of Independence.
Today is Inauguration Day, and Donald J. Trump will take the oath of office as our 45th president. It is a ceremony that signifies a peaceful transition of power not available to the 90% of the rest of the planet.
