Tonight was a momentous evening in the Asheville City Council chambers. It was the night of swearing in for the newly elected representatives. Each took the oath of office found in Article VI, Section 7 of the North Carolina State Constitution. It goes:
Before entering upon the duties of an office, a person elected or appointed to the office shall take and subscribe the following oath:
“I, _______________, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and maintain the Constitution and laws of the United States, and the Constitution and laws of North Carolina not inconsistent therewith, and that I will faithfully discharge the duties of my office as _______________, so help me God.”
I thought about complimenting all their outfits, so when they said, “This old rag?” people would suppose they were trying to be humble instead of articulating the slaps in the face citizens will feel when they vote to increase the national debt for corporate welfare, national police, national mortgage assistance, or whatever.
Councilman Cecil Bothwell didn’t have to implore the assistance of deity, Section 8 of the same article having been deemed inconsistent with the US Constitution or irrelevant, but not in any official capacity.
