The oath must come first

I recently listened to a speech by Zohran Mamdani, the newly elected mayor of New York City. In it, he unapologetically proclaimed, “I am Muslim, and I refuse to apologize for it.” He also declared that he would serve all New Yorkers. But the question must be asked: Will he serve as an American, bound by the U.S. Constitution and the principles of liberty, individualism, and civic duty? Or will he serve as a Muslim first, potentially guided more by cultural or ideological convictions than by the constitutional framework he swore to uphold?

This is not a question of religious prejudice; it is a question of civic integrity. The American experiment is built on the premise that public office is not a platform for cultural pride or ideological expression. It is a sacred trust rooted in allegiance to the Constitution. When one assumes public office in the United States, he swears an oath to uphold that document. That oath is not symbolic. It is binding. It demands that personal ideologies, religious convictions, and cultural traditions be subordinated to the rule of law and the principles of liberty, individualism, and constitutional fidelity.

The American Experiment: Assimilation, Not Exception

America was never designed to be a mosaic of competing cultures. It was envisioned as a melting pot, a place where diverse backgrounds would blend into a unified civic identity. Immigrants came here not to replicate their homelands, but to embrace a new one. They learned English, pledged allegiance, and taught their children to be proud Americans. They brought their traditions, yes, but they did not demand that those traditions override the Constitution or redefine the American ethos.

Today, that standard is eroding. Many immigrants — and even native-born citizens — no longer see assimilation as a virtue. They see it as oppression. They proclaim their cultural identity with pride, but often with no mention of the civic identity that binds us all. This is not progress. It is fragmentation. And when fragmentation enters public office, it becomes dangerous.

A mayor who proclaims, “I am Muslim and proud of it,” without affirming, “I am American first,” risks sending the message that cultural loyalty supersedes civic duty. That message undermines the foundation of representative government. It invites divided loyalties, ideological exceptions, and selective governance. It replaces the melting pot with a mosaic.

The Oath Is Not Optional

The American oath of office is not a poetic flourish. It is a binding declaration of allegiance to the Constitution. It requires that public servants uphold its principles even when those principles conflict with personal beliefs or cultural norms. If a public servant cannot make that commitment — fully, without exception — then the oath is meaningless, and the office is misused.

To say, “I will not cut out my soul” in response to ideological conflict is to misunderstand the nature of public service. The soul is not the standard. The Constitution is. If one’s soul cannot coexist with the Constitution, then one must choose another vocation. Public office is not a place for personal exceptions. It is a place for civic submission, not to tyranny, but to law.

This is especially critical in a time when religious persecution, cultural drift, and ideological extremism threaten the moral clarity of public discourse. America needs leaders who will stand firm not in their personal identity, but in their constitutional fidelity. Leaders who will say, “I am American first” and mean it. Leaders who will serve all people, not by diluting the oath, but by honoring it.

The Danger of Disingenuous Leadership

When elected officials prioritize cultural pride over constitutional fidelity, they erode public trust. They invite skepticism, division, and resentment. The American people deserve leaders who serve as Americans — not as ambassadors of foreign ideologies or representatives of tribal loyalties. They deserve leaders who understand that the oath is a sacred promise.

This does not mean that public servants must abandon their heritage. It means they must subordinate it to the Constitution in the public square. At home, in their communities, they may practice their faith, celebrate their culture, and teach their children their traditions. But in office, they must govern as Americans. Anything less is disingenuous.

A Call for Civic Renewal

America is at a crossroads. The melting pot is cooling. The Constitution is being reinterpreted through the lens of personal identity rather than civic responsibility. The oath is being diluted by ideological exceptions. If this trend continues, the American experiment will fracture — not because of diversity, but because of disunity.

We must restore the standard. We must demand that public servants be American first. We must teach our children that citizenship is not a right without responsibility. We must remind our leaders that the Constitution is not negotiable. And we must challenge every elected official with one simple question: “Will you uphold the Constitution even when it conflicts with your upbringing, your ideology, or your faith?”

If the answer is anything but an unequivocal “yes,” then the oath is meaningless — and the office is compromised.

Image: Pashi via Pixabay, Pixabay License.