#168 Preserve, Protect & Defend
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The Presidential Oath of Office
Every president of the United States has recited the oath of office as the official start of their presidency. The oath is found in Article II of the Constitution. It contains 35 words and goes as follows: “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.“ George Washington reportedly added the words “so help me God” to the oath, and it has been said at the end by every president except Theodore Roosevelt. All but two presidents placed their hand on a Bible while saying the oath, according to the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies. John Quincy Adams took the oath upon a book of the law. Theodore Roosevelt did not use a Bible for his first inauguration. In 2013, President Barack Obama took the oath using two Bibles, one owned by Abraham Lincoln and the other by Martin Luther King Jr. The vice president-elect takes a slightly different, longer oath, which is also utilized for members of Congress and some other federal employees: “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) 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; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.” |
Concept & Design A friend of mine says I swear a lot, so I decided to just leave the word “swear” in the oath and eliminate the optional “affirm.” Who knows, I just may become president some day, so I will have my oath already edited. My platform will, of course, be nude beaches across the land (well, along the coasts, anyway). And go back to 50 cent admission to Disneyland with A, B, C, D and those coveted E tickets. The colors in this piece are official colors of the American flag: “Old Glory Red” and a somewhat darker version of “Old Glory Blue,” both of which are similar to the original dyed wool flag. And of course, the word “and” has been replaced with our friend, the ampersand. |
May the coming years bring hope, health, healing and happiness to the United States of America.
Production notes for #168 Preserve, Protect & Defend:
Original size: 20x30 inches
Programs: Adobe Illustrator
Font, text: Goudy
Font, ampersand: Goudy
Credits: The Presidential Oath of Office article adapted from ABC News
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Chaz DeSimone is the creator of AmperArt and owner of Desimone Design. He was adding serifs to letters when he was just a little brat scribbling on walls. Now he’s a big brat and his entire career is design, so long as each project requires the most sophisticated, logical, captivating results. Contact him at chaz@desimonedesign.com.
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