FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 21, 2021

For further information, contact:
Committee to Support and Defend at 202-660-1628 or
Tracey.Miller@theacru.org

LTC Allen West and hundreds of veterans release strong public letter warning of threats to constitutional values and freedom

Naples, FL—Lt. Col Allen West (ret) and hundreds of retired military and veterans released a strong public letter today warning of specific threats to the Constitution and freedom. Over 800 signers to date have indicated the oath they took to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic has no expiration date.

Through the American Constitutional Rights Union’s Committee to Support and Defend, former members of the U.S. military who have proudly served our nation, have signed the letter to express their support for liberty and their specific concerns for the United States as many powerful forces seek to enact Socialism and Marxism. LTC West is a member of the Policy Board of ACRU and leads its military initiatives.

LTC West indicates in the letter: “Today, although no longer active-duty warriors, we are still bound to this pledge and believe we are ethically obligated to protect our country. As such, we put our nation’s leadership on notice. We believe the hard left turn toward Socialism and Marxism endangers our citizens and the future of this great nation. Although a difficult step to take, we believe this step is necessary for us to continue to demonstrate the integrity and moral courage our oath requires.”

The purpose of the open letter is to encourage citizens and leaders to assess the outlined public policy threats to the nation and work together to constructively and cooperatively advance freedom.

The open letter identifies threats such as erosion of the rule of law, a two-tiered justice system, attacks on voting integrity measures such as voter identification, censorship, bureaucratic abuses such as lockdowns, open borders allowing in terrorists and traffickers, restrictions that erase America’s energy independence, and rampant attacks on the rule of law. On the foreign policy front, the signers warn of threats from China and Iran and pledge their support to the “Abraham Accords.”

As for the bureaucratic abuses around COVID, they state: “Bureaucratic abuses that have led to business and school closures and excessive lockdowns should not be tolerated by the American people. We do not get our rights from the CDC, the FDA or from private corporations.”

The signers had strong words about efforts to change the military: “The focus of our military should be on training, readiness, and defense of our Nation, not leftist cultural wokeness… We oppose the politicization and ideological purging of our military.”

This letter open to all veterans follows another letter by over 200 retired generals and admirals released by Flag Officers for America under the leadership of Major Gen. Joseph Arbuckle.

According to Gen. Arbuckle, “Flag Officers for America joined efforts with the American Constitutional Rights Union because they are dedicated to defending the constitutional rights of all Americans and our Constitutional Republic. I applaud the work the American Constitutional Rights Union and Lt. Col. (ret) Allen West have done to establish the Committee to Support and Defend and am pleased that hundreds of former military have signed and continue to sign the “Open Letter from Retired U.S. Military and Veterans” reaffirming their support for our Constitution.”

The Open Letter from Retired U.S. Military and Veterans ends with: “We call upon the American people to join us in opposing the advancement of socialism by holding public officials accountable in the public square and the voting booth. We must elect local, state, and federal candidates who will always act to defend our Constitutional Republic. The survival of our Nation and its historic values, liberty and freedom are at stake.”

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American Constitutional Rights Union, a non-partisan, non-profit public policy organization dedicated to defending the constitutionally protected civil rights of all Americans.