So the question is whether you support the Constitution or not? (All military and elected officials, at least, take an oath to Protect and Defend it.)
The Constitution provides many ways to change the government: elections, influencing elected officials, legal approaches, including appeals to the court system and ultimately to the Supreme Court, and amending the Constitution itself. Violent overthrow of the government, and violent direct attacks on the government, are also mentioned in the Constitution: Article III, Section 3. It’s called Treason. Violence is not a permitted way to change the government.
Of course, the Declaration of Independence states “whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it”, which was done by violence during the War of Revolution. However, the Declaration, while important, is not part of the Constitution, and is not a part of the ruling laws of the country. If it were, there would have been no need for the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments, since “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”.
Feb. 22, 2022
© Bruce Merchant 2022
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