Citizens Worthy of Their Sacrifice

I look forward to the 250^th celebrations—the parades and picnics, and fireworks. But I also hope that all Americans will spend some time reflecting on what holds this immense, diverse, and dynamic Republic together?

The easy answer is our founding documents: the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. But is it that simple? There have been other countries with constitutions that have failed. For example, over decades, the Venezuelan democratic framework buckled to institutional decay resulting in a consolidated autocracy.

Madison anguished in Federalist No. 48 about a reliable way to check power that would depend not on words on parchment, but on incentive structures and robust institutional mechanisms. He feared that constitutions could become words on parchment without institutional mechanisms to prevent an authoritarian president or parliament from appealing to transient majorities. What are some of these robust institutional mechanisms? The Constitution explicitly requires all judicial officers—both at the federal and state levels—to be bound by an oath to uphold the Constitution.  Law enforcement officers, members of state legislatures and local governments are required to take an oath to uphold the Constitution.

But maybe unique among the institutional mechanism is found in the US military. For 250 years, millions of men and women have stepped forward, raised their right hands, and bound their lives to a sacred pledge. To truly understand the importance of this oath, we must recognize what makes this pledge entirely unique in human history. American service members do not swear allegiance to a person, a political party. They swear to support and defend the Constitution of the United States.  Our founders realized ideals enshrined in our Constitution—liberty, equality, self-governance and the rule of law—are eternal. By anchoring the military oath to the Constitution, we ensure that the most powerful lethal force on earth remains the ultimate guardian of democracy, rather than its master. The words of the oath have evolved slightly since the days of the Continental Army, but its soul has never wavered. Through every generation, the oath is the invisible thread connecting the past, the present, and the future.

What makes this pledge unique is that to the member of the military, the oath is a blank check made payable to the United States of America for an amount up to and including their very lives. The oath transforms us both individually and collectively to look past our differences and stand shoulder-to-shoulder to defend the rights of all Americans. The responsibility of the oath cannot rest solely on the shoulders of those in uniform. It demands a reciprocal promise from us, the citizens who sleep safely under the blanket of freedom they provide. We must honor their sacrifice by being citizens worth fighting for. We must respect the democratic institutions they sacrificed to protect. We must care for our veterans when they return, and fiercely protect the freedoms they have so bravely secured. Today, as to pay tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice may we also ask ourselves are we citizens worthy of their sacrifice?

To all the veterans and active-duty members: Thank you for keeping your oath. Because you raised your right hand and set the standard by keeping your pledge, our Constitution still stands.

God bless you for doing that and God bless the United States of America.

Russ Weaver ~ Mayor

In 1763, Joseph Chapline laid out what was to be the first town in Washington County, Sharps Burgh, (today known as Sharpsburg).

On September 17, 1862, The Battle of Antietam (also known as the bloodiest day of the Civil War), brought devastation, heartache and 23,110 soldiers left dead, wounded, or missing.  The sense of community shared by the people of Sharpsburg provided the strength to overcome the devastation and to rebuild the town.

Presently the town looks very much as it did in the 1800s.  Modern day conveniences have been added, but have been carefully planned out so as not to interfere with the historical nature of the town.

Sharpsburg is nestled beside the Antietam Battlefield, with various attractions, such as the C&O Canal, Harper’s Ferry, Washington Monument State Park, South Mountain, Crystal Grottoes Caverns, and many others just a short drive away.