A brush with the worst of the human experience shows the importance of preventing arguments from tipping into toxicity, while not losing the ability to stand firm against evil.
My thoughts go with your son and stay with you and your family.
I agree that “War” and “neighbors” do not belong in the same sentence. As most religions teach one way or another, Love thy neighbor as thyself. It’s tragic that so many human beings don’t seem to be able to.
I empathize with your angst, and truly pray for your son's safe return. Truly.
But a few brief thoughts, as I have business elsewhere. Can you tell me the war he is serving in?
What resolution of Congress declared it, as required by the Constitution? Because I have not heard. I would love to read the transcript of the debate. You rightly bemoan how the burden of supporting democracy falls upon a few volunteers. But what about the members of Congress such as our mutually admired Abigail, as well as others such as Shaun's "great" Rob Wittman who did not debate this war?
Once again, MLKJr is presented as a god, to lead us like Moses through our troubles. But what was he other than a product of his time? This is the same MLK that the FBI reportedly is holding tapes of listening to a woman being raped in the next room, and laughing about it?
Would that be the definition of a great man by today's standards? Probably not. Though in his time, not only would he not have been held liable, the man committing the rape would likely not have been, if the woman had entered the bedroom with him alone willingly.
Don't believe me? Watch movies from that era, then come back. Hud. Goldfinger. Etc.
Yet we think nothing of tearing down statues of Lee or Jackson that were products of their time, while building statues to the likes of King. I'm not asking what that says about them, but what does it say about us?
Personally I'm of the camp that accepts duality. That a man, like a society, or nation can have many flaws. Yet still have qualities of greatness that are worthy of admiration. It's the certitude of absolutism that I fear.
You and your soulmate Shaun seem to share that fear.
Yet where we part, is in the idea that both of you also seem to share, that I do not, that in service to that fear, we should never have any absolute values. We should always be willing to compromise. On any question, any value. until - like the Niemoller in his poem, they come for you.
I do not share that value. There are some core values I cannot, and will not compromise.
I suspect that trait you both share is much more the base problem in today's society than you realize.
Rob Wittman is a great man. But Rob just voted to reject a bill to increase border security, at the same time he voted to impeach the Homeland Security Secretary for not securing the border. At the behest of a man found liable for actually doing a rape similar to the one overheard by King, and has had courts and government officials find him liable for attempting to overthrow the very government and Constitution that your son is risking his life to protect.
That is under over 90 felony indictments not only for such insurrectionist actions, but also fraud, and risking the very national security that again, your son is protecting. This is a man who deliberately caged kids, endangered American's health,........nevermind - if you don't know or have already forgotten - it's because you want to not know, or to forget.
You say that the problem is that we are not the moral people we once were. I say we are just people, same as those before us, and those who will come after us. Getting better somewhat, as long as our bellies are full, and our time is enjoyable. Hopefully it will last.
But that does not mean that we do not have a duty to say clearly we are against something, if it is wrong. Whether it be the beating of police officers, the torture of children, the robbing of the poor to aid the rich.
We can and should do so politely. Peacefully, as much as possible. But that does not mean we should always give in for the sake of politeness.
Sometimes, wrong is wrong. If you play football against a team that does not have to obey the same rules as you (1st down is 5 yards for them if they fail to meet 10; it's 15 for you if you manage to gain 12); I doubt you will be successful, no matter how accommodating you are.
There has to be something you're willing to stand for. Fair, decent treatment of all, with a demand for equal accountability seems a good place to start.
In the meantime, I do hope your son remains safe until he returns home to you.
Again, the fact that we, as a society, are so willing to accept that fact, is something that is devalued when discussing how willing we as a nation are to send your good son into harm's way.
The politicians like it, because they are able to avoid accountability for their actions. They become glorious quarterbacks on Monday morning when something goes wrong.
The public likes it, because we can all sing Toby Keith songs rather than Driveby Trucker's. Wanna lay any bets on whether there will be a military flyby at the Superbowl on Sunday?
Interesting ancillary discussion of this facet in a book that I'm working thru by Matthew Connelly called the Declassification Engine, which touches on how willing we have been to place our trust into government to decide what is in our interest and what isn't.
Anyway, again - hope your son is safe, but we do him no good service if we send him into harm's way without clear goals, support, or objectives.
Any more than we do ourselves when we refuse to establish any values that we are not willing to negotiate away when challenged here.
Marty,
My thoughts go with your son and stay with you and your family.
I agree that “War” and “neighbors” do not belong in the same sentence. As most religions teach one way or another, Love thy neighbor as thyself. It’s tragic that so many human beings don’t seem to be able to.
I empathize with your angst, and truly pray for your son's safe return. Truly.
But a few brief thoughts, as I have business elsewhere. Can you tell me the war he is serving in?
What resolution of Congress declared it, as required by the Constitution? Because I have not heard. I would love to read the transcript of the debate. You rightly bemoan how the burden of supporting democracy falls upon a few volunteers. But what about the members of Congress such as our mutually admired Abigail, as well as others such as Shaun's "great" Rob Wittman who did not debate this war?
Once again, MLKJr is presented as a god, to lead us like Moses through our troubles. But what was he other than a product of his time? This is the same MLK that the FBI reportedly is holding tapes of listening to a woman being raped in the next room, and laughing about it?
Would that be the definition of a great man by today's standards? Probably not. Though in his time, not only would he not have been held liable, the man committing the rape would likely not have been, if the woman had entered the bedroom with him alone willingly.
Don't believe me? Watch movies from that era, then come back. Hud. Goldfinger. Etc.
Yet we think nothing of tearing down statues of Lee or Jackson that were products of their time, while building statues to the likes of King. I'm not asking what that says about them, but what does it say about us?
Personally I'm of the camp that accepts duality. That a man, like a society, or nation can have many flaws. Yet still have qualities of greatness that are worthy of admiration. It's the certitude of absolutism that I fear.
You and your soulmate Shaun seem to share that fear.
Yet where we part, is in the idea that both of you also seem to share, that I do not, that in service to that fear, we should never have any absolute values. We should always be willing to compromise. On any question, any value. until - like the Niemoller in his poem, they come for you.
I do not share that value. There are some core values I cannot, and will not compromise.
I suspect that trait you both share is much more the base problem in today's society than you realize.
Rob Wittman is a great man. But Rob just voted to reject a bill to increase border security, at the same time he voted to impeach the Homeland Security Secretary for not securing the border. At the behest of a man found liable for actually doing a rape similar to the one overheard by King, and has had courts and government officials find him liable for attempting to overthrow the very government and Constitution that your son is risking his life to protect.
That is under over 90 felony indictments not only for such insurrectionist actions, but also fraud, and risking the very national security that again, your son is protecting. This is a man who deliberately caged kids, endangered American's health,........nevermind - if you don't know or have already forgotten - it's because you want to not know, or to forget.
You say that the problem is that we are not the moral people we once were. I say we are just people, same as those before us, and those who will come after us. Getting better somewhat, as long as our bellies are full, and our time is enjoyable. Hopefully it will last.
But that does not mean that we do not have a duty to say clearly we are against something, if it is wrong. Whether it be the beating of police officers, the torture of children, the robbing of the poor to aid the rich.
We can and should do so politely. Peacefully, as much as possible. But that does not mean we should always give in for the sake of politeness.
Sometimes, wrong is wrong. If you play football against a team that does not have to obey the same rules as you (1st down is 5 yards for them if they fail to meet 10; it's 15 for you if you manage to gain 12); I doubt you will be successful, no matter how accommodating you are.
There has to be something you're willing to stand for. Fair, decent treatment of all, with a demand for equal accountability seems a good place to start.
In the meantime, I do hope your son remains safe until he returns home to you.
I rarely ever offer comments here, but I do want to clarify. There is no formal declared war. I am aware of that. I was using war as a term of art.
Thank you.
Again, the fact that we, as a society, are so willing to accept that fact, is something that is devalued when discussing how willing we as a nation are to send your good son into harm's way.
The politicians like it, because they are able to avoid accountability for their actions. They become glorious quarterbacks on Monday morning when something goes wrong.
The public likes it, because we can all sing Toby Keith songs rather than Driveby Trucker's. Wanna lay any bets on whether there will be a military flyby at the Superbowl on Sunday?
Interesting ancillary discussion of this facet in a book that I'm working thru by Matthew Connelly called the Declassification Engine, which touches on how willing we have been to place our trust into government to decide what is in our interest and what isn't.
Anyway, again - hope your son is safe, but we do him no good service if we send him into harm's way without clear goals, support, or objectives.
Any more than we do ourselves when we refuse to establish any values that we are not willing to negotiate away when challenged here.
I think both are shortsighted mistakes.
Best wishes.