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A House Divided and Plea for Resolution:
Formal Demand for Congressional Inquiry upon the Honorable Congressman Robert Goodlatte of the State of Virginia

21 July, 2009

Re: The Constitutional Authority of Barack Hussein Obama to Hold and Occupy the Office of the President of the United States of America and by which He Commands the Armed Forces.

We are long past the general election of November and it seems as though it were ages ago. Now well into July we still have no resolution to one of the most important Constitutional issues we have faced in the entire history of our great Nation; the answer to a question which has the potential to shake this country to its foundation but if we are to survive must be answered. To continue to ignore this issue is inhumane to the members of the Armed Forces, divisive and compromises us all because as at a minimum it conflicts their resolve and our own solidarity.

I am a USAF Military Officer in the service of my Country. With all humility and cognizant of the greater valor of many who have come before, I have upheld to the very best of my ability my oath of office.

I have fought for what I see as right and just before God and for my country. I acknowledge that I humbly and willingly bow before my Creator, and while I have served my Country proudly, I have never bowed in subservience before any Government or earthly King.

While I am not proud of everything I have done in my life to say the least, I am proud of America and have never been ashamed of her. I am proud of her not because I am oblivious to her faults, but because of her innate ability to rise above them. She has gracefully blessed me with opportunity beyond what I deserve and what I could expect from most every other Nation on this earth and for this I am deeply thankful. I am not alone as countless others have also been blessed but the cost has not been free.

I have not ever and do not now in anyway consider it inappropriate to question the orders of those above me if, in good faith, I believe those orders are illegal. This is irrespective of the person or rank of the individual. The President is not immune. In fact, as it relates to the defense of our Constitution, I believe I am duty bound to question; to do otherwise in my opinion is dereliction of duty. Such is the moral basis and justification for my demand.

“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only
unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American
public.” Theodore Roosevelt.

Let me be clear. This for me is not a political issue. This is not based on race, religion or any value I hold other than my respect for the Constitution as my oath demands. I am bringing this before you as a Military Officer of my own volition and not as a concerned citizen. I have not been coerced or forced to do this.

I affirm: although I have my personal opinions regarding the political ambitions of Barack Hussein Obama it is and would be inappropriate in my capacity as a military Officer to question ANY order he might give me due to political differences we may have.

I have had significant political differences with past Presidents during my tenure to include our last one and never questioned their absolute authority over me in the conduct of my duty. So I repeat this is not political but rather squarely about the Constitutional question at hand.

Is Barack Hussein Obama a Natural Born Citizen qualified to hold the office of President and to be Commander in Chief of our Armed Forces or is he not? I speak only for myself and not for the Air Force when I say, based solely on the information he has given I am of the opinion he is not. Either way, I have a right as an American soldier to have this question investigated and answered by Congress as it has direct bearing on my oath of office and relates to the legality of the orders he gives.

In an open letter of 3 March 2009 I pleaded with and challenged Secretary Gates to honor his oath of office and use whatever remedy he had in his power to resolve the issue. I expressed my concern that it was dividing and hurting my military family. I have also written my Senator Mark Warner of Virginia on 1 Feb. 2009 and pleaded
that the Senator present take this issue up before Congress which he refused to do. When asked to meet with me to explain his failure to act he refused to do this as well. In his defense he is a young Senator and perhaps failed to recognize my plea for what it was and the right as a military member by which I asked him to bring this before Congress and his duty to act on it.

I have been advised through military channels that my letters to Secretary Gates and Senator Warner were inflammatory … so be it. I am not ashamed that I demand my leaders give the same weight to their oath of office as those appointed below them are required to do. If it turns out I am wrong I will freely offer my public apology, until then I can not hide my frustration and dismay and I continue my demand that they follow their oath and rise to the defense of our Constitution. I am
convinced, as I wrote to Secretary Gates, that we are tearing our military apart by pitting their loyalty to the office of the President and commitment to defend America not against her enemies but against the greater moral and ethical question of serving at the command of a person who is not qualified to hold the office in violation of the Constitutional requirements.

We have focused much attention of late on the interrogation of prisoners and have been told we must consider the moral and ethical conduct of our methods if we are to regain our stature as a Great Nation. I rather believe if we are tarnished, we are so to a greater extent not for what we have done to our enemies, but rather for what we have done and are we are willing to do to our own; to include taking from those who were here before what was not ours to take and enslaving others. This is the Great Stain on a Nation otherwise known as a beacon of freedom and hope in a troubled world.

So how does this relate to the question at hand? I submit we are committing another disgraceful hypocritical act when we show concern for our enemy’s human rights and
then send our own soldiers off to battle to die for our Constitution which in turn is then violated by the very person that is sending them off to die for it. For those on active duty the situation is intolerable!

How can it be that Congress would allow them to spill their blood on foreign soil for America and then leave them to wonder in the final waning moments of their life if the person who sent them to their death is an impostor; this is inhumane and absolutely cruel.

This is a National disgrace beyond comprehension and yet this is exactly the situation we are in. The fact that the courts have denied us standing and have not in a single case heard our pleading on the merits is an abomination and is absurd on its face. This must not be allowed to continue. Have we been deceived and are we dying at the command of a person who lacks the legal and therefore the moral right to command us?

Greatness never arises from a bed of deceit. The end no matter how noble it is or appears to be is always perverted to the detriment of the people if the means is based in a lie. In this regard we have no choice.

As I am witnessing the cords of division rise in the military, if the office of the President is divided in loyalty (as would be evidenced by an USURPER) we as a Nation are a House divided. This is true regardless if recognized by the majority or not for it is the nature of such divisions that challenged to the very core of our commitment to our Country and to each other.

Very much like a Patient’s presenting symptom, often ignored or discounted that belies a deadly underlying disease that only under stress declares itself in its full lethal manifestation. This division is certain whether we wish to face it or not and one only need look around to see that such a challenge or stress is on the horizon.

Would it not be wise that we address this now? In addition to the moral issue and because of it we should not allow this uncertainty to undermine our resolve and ability to respond to it with a united Military. Early in our History President Lincoln said that a House divided against itself cannot stand! Does anyone doubt the wisdom of these words?

While I believe this would eventually be answered by the courts and I am not opposed to a remedy by the Courts given the gravity of the situation; I hold the opinion that the duty for remedy is greater upon the Congress.

We should never fear the light of truth or the consequences of its discovery for to do so only deepens the injury and decreases the chances for recovery. This is as true in Medicine as it istrue for the heart of our Nation.

As such I respectfully and formally demand a Constitutional inquiry into the qualifications of Barack Hussein Obama to hold the office of the President of the United States of America and to the authority by which he commands the Armed Forces in her service.

Respectfully Submitted,

Lt Col David A. Earl-Graef USAFR MC