By KEVIN MCCABE
I am very concerned about the alleged issues surrounding Rep. David Eastman and his membership in the Oath Keepers.
I am, however, far more concerned with the consequences of any contemplated action, to the Legislature, the government of Alaska as a whole, and the conservative Mat-Su delegation. What I mean when I say that is simply this: Representative Eastman’s voters sent him to the Legislature three different times.
Who am I and or who do other legislators (or any of us who are not his constituents), think we are to usurp their votes and to remove their representation?
Look, I don’t always 100% agree with all of my 39 colleagues. Some of them I disagree with a lot of the time. And I disagree with Rep Eastman a lot.
Sometimes it is process, and sometimes it is politics. But is it my job to try to remove a legislator if I disagree with them? No. That job belongs to his or her constituents. And there are two ways to do that – through the ballot box, or by recall petition.
Most Americans know about the concept of “due process;” and the American ideal of “innocent until proven guilty” which has legal basis found in the 5th, 6th, and 14th Amendments, as well as English common law and many other documents found in our legal (including both Alaska and US Supreme Courts) procedures and precedents.
So with no “due process” and the idea that an American is innocent until proven guilty by that due process, can I as a legislator, set myself up to be judge and jury and “punish” a fellow legislator sent to do the states work by his voters? Should I vote to “cancel” those constituents votes? Do you really want me to? Because that is what some of you are asking legislators to do.
Many of those calling for Eastman’s ouster do not even know, or have never seen, the Oath Keepers manifesto, rules, platform or ideals. In short, Alaskans are believing the hysterical left bloggers, the left leaning mainstream media, and the Twitter warriors instead of reading the Oath Keepers constitution themselves. I read about them over a decade ago when Oath Keepers approached me about membership.
From what I remember many folks are taking the Oath Keepers platform and ideals completely out of context; especially in light of our history. Remember, our Declaration of Independence says this:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, —That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.”
Is the Oath Keepers’ platform much different? Do we know? If you support removing Eastman, do you know? Have you seen the Oath Keepers platform or do you just believe what the media/bloggers are writing? If so, ask yourself what their agenda is?
Finally, where does it end? Should we remove half the legislature because they are NRA members?
Should we find the social media posts of those legislators who supported BLM, Occupy Wall-Street, Occupy Seattle, or Antifa, and vote to remove them as well?
Should we remove legislators who are supported by various financial support groups and PACs, who also have an agenda that appears to run contra to our constitution?
Where does it end?
This whole thing is not an attempt to uphold our constitution. It is a thinly veiled personal and political hatchet job. No, this is about some who do not like a Representative’s positions, and his district’s politics, trying to get rid of him.
It is about some far far left Democrats and Socialists who see this as a way to remove a Republican from the House, shift the voting paradigm of the conservative Mat-Su, and create upheaval and strife for the conservative minority; all while cancelling the political stance of the district voters and the Mat-Su in general.
Frankly I am dismayed to see so many smart people, educated in civics and American history, buying into this. The consequences to our state, of removing a representative in such a manner, are too great – and I cannot support this method.
Keep in mind that it could be any representative next; but for now, the focus seems to be on shifting the voting block of the conservative Mat-Su delegation.
There is a recall procedure and a ballot box. If a representative’s constituents want him or her removed, then these are the two methods to use.
Rep. Kevin McCabe has represented District 8 as a member of the Alaska House of Representatives since 2021.
