[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 15 (Wednesday, February 25, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E226]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              RECOMMENDING AN ARTICLE BY R.C. SPROUL, JR.

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. RON PAUL

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 25, 1998

  Mr. PAUL. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recommend to my colleagues the 
following article by a young writher, R.C. Sproul, Jr., the son of the 
remarkable theologian and author. While this article is indeed 
instructive and important in regards to the recent situation with Iraq, 
I believe that the author does a fine job addressing the much broader 
topic of following the Constitution in all matters, including those of 
inciting war and promoting peace. His article was written for CovSyn, 
which is a publication of the Kuyper Institute, in Oak Ridge, 
Tennessee.
  Our founding fathers formed our government to ensure that no single 
person could have complete power or authority over any aspect of 
government; to give anyone that kind of power is to invite tyranny.
  I urge my colleagues to read and consider Mr. Sproul's article. We 
all took an oath to uphold the Constitution: an oath which we must take 
seriously if we are to promote liberty, peace and civil society.

                        Bombing the Constitution

                          By R.C. Sproul, Jr.

       When was the last time the United States went to war? 
     That's not exactly an easy question to answer. If, however, 
     the Constitution is in fact the law of the land, the answer 
     is December 8, 1941. You see, the Constitution says that only 
     the Congress has the power to declare war on another nation. 
     That would seem to mean that without such a declaration, 
     there is no war. Some kept this pretense the first time the 
     United States went to war after World War II. Some called the 
     Korean War a ``police action.'' Vietnam, though there was 
     again no declaration of war, was known as a war.
       Since Vietnam U.S. soldiers have shot at soldiers from 
     other countries, and been shot at, in Libya, Grenada, Panama, 
     Somalia, the former Yugoslavia, and Iraq. And it appears 
     we're going to non-war again in Iraq sometime soon. Where, to 
     quote Mr. Dole, is the outrage? How is it that the 
     Constitution can be so brazenly ignored?
       Some argue that in an age of intercontinental ballistic 
     missiles, that the requirement for a Congressional 
     declaration is outdated. In none of the above ``non-wars'' 
     however, have such missiles constituted a treat to American 
     safety. And even if such were the case, why not change the 
     Constitution to reflect the current situation?
       Others suggest that we have no need for this old rule since 
     we now have the ``War Powers Act'' which gives congressional 
     approval for the President to use the military freely within 
     a certain time frame. But that's not at all the same thing. 
     The Constitution no where gives the Congress the right to 
     shirk their role as declarers of war.
       Still others try to argue that the United Nations security 
     council now serves that role. Again though, the Constitution 
     says nothing about giving them this role. Neither does it say 
     that a sufficient number of handshakes with Madelaine 
     Albright shall be a substitute for Congressional action.
       And still some go on insisting that these conflicts aren't 
     wars. With the U.S.S. Nimitz in the Suez Canal, with 3,000 
     ground troops being sent to join the 1,500 already in Kuwait, 
     with Stealth bombers lined up and ready to go, this is 
     nonsense. When soldiers shoot at each other, whether they're 
     in a foxhole, or in a room full of computers, or 35,000 feet 
     in the air, that's war.
       The only explanation I can think of is that no one really 
     knows what the Constitution says. And while I'm not surprised 
     that government school products would be ignorant (how can 
     they know the Constitution when they can't read it?), what 
     frightens me is that each and every soldier, from the buck 
     private loading the cargo planes, to the lieutenants fresh 
     out of ROTC, to the Commander-in-Chief, all of them have take 
     a solemn oath to uphold and protect the Constitution.
       These United States are no longer operating under the 
     Constitution. We, like those great nations which have come 
     and gone before us, have sunk to the level of empire. And 
     you, friend, are no free man or woman, but just another 
     subject. Remember that as you wave that flag in honor of the 
     bombing heroes.

     

                          ____________________