I made the following comments after being sworn in as an American Fork City Councilman on January 6, 2014:
"This is the 2nd time I've taken a formal oath to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States. The first time was when I was 18 years old and enlisted in the United States Air Force, where I had the distinct honor, privilege, and blessing to serve my country. Now I have the distinct honor, blessing, and privilege to serve my community, having been entrusted by the citizens of our great city with the rights and responsibilities of a City Councilman.
I've been a student of the Constitution for the past 20 years. I had a love for the Constitution and history at age 18, but my understanding of the Constitution is now much broader and deeper.
Over the past few years, I've come to better appreciate the many checks and balances of our Constitution, to safe gaurd our liberty and our right to govern ourselves. When we think of "checks and balances" we typically think of the horizontal separation of powers, with the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial "branches" of government. But there is also a vertical separation of powers in the U.S. Constitution, with State and local governments intended to check federal abuses. This too is part of the Constitution, as found in the 9th and 10 Amendments and other places. This structural check has been reaffirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court as recently as 1997, in the landmark Mack/Printz vs. USA ruling.
I've come to realize that so much of what affects us day to day is local and State, not federal.
I'm thankful to the voters of our city who have placed their trust in me. While imperfect, I shall do my best to remain true and faithful to our State and U.S. Constitutions, and to the principles they enshrine."
