There is a saying “Power tends
to corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely” (Lord Acton).It is amazing how quickly we are willing
allow ourselves to inch our government towards absolute power in the name of
safety from terrorists.
We look to our politicians to
govern and in that role we overlook their flaws and hypocrisies if they but
promise to do things we like.We condemn
corporations and bemoan the fact they are protected by the law just as
individuals are, but we empower the government to do things we would never
allow from a company – all in the name of protection.
Where is the concern and outrage
over the government’s collection of vast quantities of cell phone calls?Oh right, they are just doing that to find
the terrorists so they can be stopped before something bad happens.The ordinary man or woman has nothing to
fear, unless they happen to disagree with the administration.
What we know for certain is that
information can be gained by anyone with the time, talent, desire or funding to
seek it, and it can be used for whatever purpose the owner chooses.
If, as we see, the current
politicians want to remain in power what better way than to know what everyone
is talking about so you can shape your message.I wonder, is that why NSA spying has the support of both major parties?
One of the
unique aspects of the U.S. and its Armed Forces is the relationship.
Historically, the American military has been a reflection of the society, with
a small professional corps and the number of citizen-soldiers growing or
declining based on need. With the advent
of the cold war we moved from this to a large standing force, ready to defend
the nation and serve as a tool of national power. What we are seeing today is the cost of that construct becoming unsupportable as we are engaged in conflict so complex that the
simple application of military force is ineffective.
As a society,
we have prided ourselves on the fact that an individual with determination, and
talent, can rise from poverty to greatness unconstrained by a social class. Here too the military reflects that
belief. While the majority of Generals
now come from the established academies, just as in society they come from the
Ivy League colleges, there is room for the exceptional to rise up and join
them. We pride ourselves on these “everyman”
success stories, where a young high school graduate joins the service as a
private, seaman, or airman, and rises to the rank of General through hard work
and excellence in all he or she does.
So we come now
to Memorial Day where we remember the sacrifice of those who, in the words of
Abraham Lincoln “gave the last full measure of devotion” in the defense of a
vision founded in the belief that America was special and worth
preserving. Originally known as
Decoration Day, a time to mark the graves of Civil War soldiers, sailors and
marines it has evolved, just as the nation has.
It was fixed as the last Monday in May by the Congress in 1968 in the
Uniform Monday Holiday Act, and became a federal holiday.
It seems
fitting on this day to reflect on the words of President Lincoln; I believe as
true now as when he first spoke them.
“But, in a larger sense,
we can not dedicate, we can not consecrate – we can not hallow – this ground.
The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it far
above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long
remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is
for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which
they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be
here dedicated to the great task remaining before us – that from these honored
dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here gave the last
full measure of devotion - that we here highly resolve that these dead shall
not have died in vain – that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of
freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people,
shall not perish from the earth.”
Our young men and woman
are still there as the human capital of this nation, we send them to distant
lands to fulfill the promises of our government and if necessary to offer as
payment of that promise their lives. It
is up to us, the living, to remember those sacrifices and hold our leaders and
ourselves accountable for them.
In
his speech to the Sorbonne in 1910, Theodore Roosevelt spoke of “Citizenship in
a Republic.” From that speech comes a
favored quote that talks of the man in the arena who strives valiantly, who may
come up short, but in the end knows either great triumph or if he fails, he
fails while daring greatly. What is not
often cited is, I believe, even more important.
“But if a man’s
efficiency is not guided and regulated by a moral sense, then the more efficient
he is the worse he is, the more dangerous to the body politic. Courage,
intellect, all the masterful qualities, serve but to make a man more evil if
they are merely used for that man’s own advancement, with brutal indifference
to the rights of others.”
Those men and women
who have sacrificed themselves so others may survive; or who have gone where
this nation has sent them and done all it has asked of them have given this
nation its future. It is up to us to
remember them and strive to repay the debt.
Rule 1:Unless you are the Pilot, First Officer, or
other flight crew and are being paid to do it – Don’t fly.
Rule 2:If you absolutely have to travel, and don’t
meet the qualifications noted in Rule 1, consider all alternatives first; like
walking, driving, sailing, or sending someone else.
Rule 3:If you have complied with Rule 2, fail the
qualifications of Rule 1, and still want to fly consider psychiatric counseling
Rule 4:If after Rule 2 and Rule 3 you still want to
fly carry on your person everything you need to survive for a week
Rule 5:Take out extra life insurance at the
counter.What’s that you say, they don’t
offer flight life insurance anymore?That should tell you
why Rule 1 is so important.
Rule 6:Always sit in the back, that way you will be
the last one to crash, and you are near the toilets.On the down side, this can be a problem on
long, or long-delayed flights so bring air freshener.
Rule 7: Bring earplugs and a
clean pacifier or two
Rule 9: Lose as much weight as
possible to fit in the new seats
I am struck by the contrast
between us. And by us I mean our
grandparents and us. I think what
spurred this was two simple pictures shown nearly side-by-side. One of General
Benjamin O. Davis, USAF and the other of President Barack
H. Obama, both men reached the pinnacle of their profession, but reflect such
diametrically opposite lives and approach to life.
General Davis fought for
equality in a time when this nation refused to accept even the
possibility. Following in his father’s
footsteps he sought a military career. Towards
that end he was appointed to West Point, NY in 1932 where he spent his four
years being shunned by the entire Corp.
I cannot begin to imagine the strength of character, the courage of
conviction and the fortitude it took to complete those years and graduate. And what did he graduate into? A service that thought the Negro was a
second-class soldier, although from the time of the civil war they had proven
their abilities. He trained and led a
segregated force, after only two years in the field he was assigned to Tuskegee, Alabama
as the Professor of Military Science, pushing him into what most would consider a
dead end job, but war was on the horizon.
General Davis saw a different
future for himself and his race. And he
set about to create it. As far as I can
tell he didn’t seek favors, rationalize his plight or condemn the society. He
set out to prove to the leadership of the Army and the Department of War they were
wrong. In the end he proved to even the politicians they were wrong and ultimately to the nation they were wrong.
He did this through strength of
character and a demand for excellence; both within himself and from those he
led. We have all heard of the Tuskegee
Airman, well I wonder what they would have been like if someone other than
General Davis had led them?
On July 26, 1948, President
Truman signed executive order 9981, desegregating the Department of
Defense. Of course this did not
instantaneously end discrimination and for those bases in the South the Black
airman could not sit at the same lunch counters off base as the Whites. I was not there, but I would assume the
Tuskegee Airman faced both overt and subtle racism even on base. But General Davis continued his career of
leadership and excellence. Ultimately
retiring in 1970 as a Lieutenant General.
He was promoted to full General in 1998.
Everything I’ve ever read
about General Davis reflects his deep love of country, despite its flaws, and
the desire to lead his airman into equality where they are judged not by the
color of their skin but by the quality of their work. I would like to think General Davis would
recognize we have made great strides, but I wonder if he would be saddened by
how far we’ve yet to come?
Then we come to this generation
where the civil rights act of 1964 forced society to move begrudgingly towards equality,
and where colleges are mandated to set two standards for acceptance. Where, in an effort to force opportunity and
overcome the perception of social advantage less is expected of the minorities,
and where terms like “white privilege” and “racist” are thrown around whenever
someone points out the disparity. Politicians and academic elites who think
nothing of condemning the entire nation of today for the sins of our founders.
We, as a whole, now complain,
bicker and point fingers. We belittle those
who disagree with us and demand that they bend to what we say is right, and if
we don’t we bring down the wrath of all we control. We condemn those we disagree with by any
means possible and find every petty annoyance as the most tragic of sins.
The contrast is stark and I am
saddened we have become who we are. I
hope someday we will move to the ideals General Davis inspired.
