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“Support the Troops” has been a slogan among many public and private citizens, especially since 9/11. But what, exactly, do they mean?

Some people believe they “Support the Troops” by buying ribbon-shaped magnets to put on their cars. The federal government “supports” through the Department of Veterans Affairs, which provides health care, educational benefits, burials and memorials.

Others believe they “Support the Troops” with handshakes, waves, thanking folks for their service and sending care packages supports troops at home and overseas. Is this really what “support” is to these very troops?

Our troops swear an oath of fealty to the Constitution of the United States of America, on their honor, which states: “I, [their name], do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same […]”.

If our troops swear an oath to support and defend the Constitution, then the best way to support our troops, as I see it, is to support what it is they support. That means the best way to support our troops is to support and defend the Constitution.

The simplest way to support and defend the Constitution that has a direct impact on the troops is to demand that Congress declares any and all wars. Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution states: “The Congress shall have the power […] To declare war […]”. The United States Congress has not issued a declaration of war since World War II, making all wars since then, by definition, illegal.

How can one support the troops without supporting the law of the land — the U.S. Constitution?

The troops live and die by their oath of allegiance to the greatest constitution ever written by man, and the oldest existing constitution in the modern world.

The fact is that without a modicum of respect for the law of the land, you can’t possibly have a modicum of respect for those who live and die defending it.

Real “Support of the Troops” can’t be explained by political pundits, politicians, or even the president himself. It can only be explained by the troops. So, you might ask, how does one determine what the troops want?

You can ascertain the sentiments of the troops by the recent march that took place on President’s Day, Feb. 20. Between 500 to 1,000 — depending on who you listen to — veterans, active duty military, supporters and families marched through Washington, D.C., in formation, promoting their cause.

These troops marched on Washington, D.C., to support presidential candidate, Congressman Ron Paul (R-Texas). Though mainstream news outlets didn’t cover it, this outpouring of active duty troops and veterans illuminates what the troops actually want: the return of constitutional government.

It is also important for me to note that Ron Paul has raised more campaign contributions from active duty military than all the other Republican candidates, and President Barack Obama, put together.
The top-three contributors to Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich are all private businesses — mostly banks that also support Obama.

The top three contributors to Paul are the Army, Navy and Air Force, according to opensecrets.org.

Though some members of the media and political establishment tout Paul’s views as being “radical”, they don’t seem to be radical to the troops that support him.

In order to really “Support the Troops”, support and defend the Constitution of the United States — as Paul has done in Congress.
Members of the military recognize this and that’s why they, in turn, overwhelmingly support Paul.