Top 7 Most Outrageous Books Public Officials Swore in On
This is a top 7 list on things other than the bible that public officials swore in on!
7. Keith Ellison- Thomas Jefferson's Qu'ran
Photo: Wikipedia, Win McNamee/Getty Images
After overcoming racism and prejudice to make his way into office as the first Muslim member of Congress in 2006, Keith really wanted to stick it to the haters. He requested Thomas Jefferson's Qu'ran from The Library of Congress and swore in on it to take his oath to the United States.
6. Ilhan Omar- A Giant Ass Qu'ran
Photo: @DeplorableKel2
After overcoming racism and prejudice to make her way into office as the first Somali woman in the Minnesota House in 2016, Omar really wanted to stick it to the haters. She found the biggest fuckin Qu'ran she could find and swore in on it. (Note: This was during a separate optional ceremony, not the official swearing in ceremony)
5. Terry McCaffrey, an Eagle Father
Photo: Gisele Alabens
Territories and provinces in Canada allow indigenous peoples to swear in using an Eagle Feather in place of a bible. Above is a photo of Terry McAffery swearing in as police chief.
4. Teddy Roosevelt - NOTHING!
Photo: Wikipedia
After William McKinley was shot Teddy Roosevelt needed to be sworn in. Instead of waiting for a bible, Roosevelt opted to be sworn in without anything to swear upon.
In reaction to Teddy becoming president, Mark Hanna remarked "That damned cowboy is president now".
3. Ben Blankley - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy 
Photo: The Wichita Eagle
Ben Blankly, an outspoken atheist, was deeply opposed to the idea of swearing on the bible. After holding an online poll to decide what to swear in on- the finalists including "Robert's Rules of Order", "Fundamnetals of Astrodynamics", he decided to swear in on "The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy", a popular science fiction book. After learning that most people swearing in at the position of school board member didn't swear in on anything, and simply raised their right hand, he realized he was being an ass and reluctantly swore in on nothing.
2. Mariah Parker - The Autobiography of Malcom X
Photo: Georgia Alliance for Social Justice
Mariah Parker, a doctorate student and rapper also known by the name "Lingua Franca", was elected to the Athens-Clarke County commission in June 2018. She opted to swear in on Malcom X's autobiography saying "Having seen the transformation of someone who came through a difficult background to become vocal and push conversations on race in a radical way is powerful... the fact that he was arguably killed for his politics. These are things that I want to embrace."
1. Lan Diep - Captain America's Shield
Photo: San Jose City Council
Lan Diep of San Jose California is a long time comic book fan and decided to swear in on a replica of Captain America's shield. He probably just wanted to show off the limited edition movie-prop, of which only 1,000 were made.