Today Is About Listening

There is much more to today than showing our appreciation for the sacrifices made by those who served in the military. Today is about those who gave everything, the most that anyone can give, to this country and to us. Today is about showing our humble gratitude to those who will never be able to read or see our words. Today is about listening rather than speaking.

In between the countless posts and comments streaming across the screen of my laptop confusing Memorial Day with Veteran’s Day there have been a few instances when I paused and simply listened to what was said or stopped to read what was written. Those words were from the men and women who survived, many of whom attest to their survival coming at the cost of the life of another soldier. Others were recollections of the smiles and aspirations of soldiers who never returned home.

At the same time, I see the pictures and faces of families now absent a son, daughter, father, mother, brother, or sister. These are the instances that give me a moment of reflective pause as I think about those with whom I shared a barracks and I wonder how many of those soldiers never posed for another family photo after those sweltering days in Missouri. And I also think about who had to take my place once I departed.

I also think about the leaves in the family tree that never fully developed having been pruned early in life during a time of war. Whether it is my 7^th great grandfather, Rufus Cone, having been captured by the British during the Battle of Long Island he subsequently died aboard a prison ship on August 27, 1776, or my 4th great grandfather, Jacob Teaford, who watched as his fellow militiamen were buried in mass graves in Norfolk, Virginia in the fall of 1814, or my 3^rd great grandfather, Jacob Worth, being entombed in the USS Tecumseh during the Battle of Mobile Bay on August 5, 1864, or many of the cousins, close and distant, that have given all to defend this country. All of these family tragedies and sacrifices remain at the forefront of my mind on this day.

It is because of this, these accounts past and present, that we must always listen to what needs to be said and understand that many of the sacrifices that were made were so we could live the life that we do in a free country. At the same time, there is no telling what would have happened to us had someone not stepped in and paid that price. Past or present, today we must honor the memories of the true heroes of this country.

Leaving Things Unfinished

While it inevitably happens from time to time, I hate leaving things that are half finished but sometimes other priorities come to the fore and there is no other option. Eventually, I go back and complete that item or project but there is generally no guarantee when that will happen. However, that task is always on my mind and it doesn’t take much for me to return to the work that was once abandoned.

I was reminded of this when hearing the president speak last week. Unfortunately, his hand had to be forced in order to return to an unfinished war. There was no golf course to which he could retreat that would hide him away from that speech that you could tell he was dreading. When the words were spoken we listened hoping that we would hear of a solution that we could all stand behind. For many of us, the ‘solution’ presented fell far short of what we wanted to hear.  

The threat that we currently face from ISIL is one that many of use feared would grow out of our abrupt departure from the region. We hoped to hear of an all-out campaign to obliterate this terrorist organization that some report to be as much as 31,000 strong. While we have been engaging in targeted strikes, this does not seem to be stemming their growth. We need to show strength but we were left with the following rhetoric from the president:

Now, it will take time to eradicate a cancer like ISIL.  And any time we take military action, there are risks involved –- especially to the servicemen and women who carry out these missions.  But I want the American people to understand how this effort will be different from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.  It will not involve American combat troops fighting on foreign soil.  This counterterrorism campaign will be waged through a steady, relentless effort to take out ISIL wherever they exist, using our air power and our support for partner forces on the ground.  This strategy of taking out terrorists who threaten us, while supporting partners on the front lines, is one that we have successfully pursued in Yemen and Somalia for years.  And it is consistent with the approach I outlined earlier this year:  to use force against anyone who threatens America’s core interests, but to mobilize partners wherever possible to address broader challenges to international order. 

With a government a mere days old at the time of the speech and our greatest source of intelligence in the region, Israel, having to fight alone to defend their borders, we have little regional support that could counter this growing threat. There are times when overwhelming force is not the answer but this is not one of those situations. We gave up once, we let this threat grow unchecked, and we failed in finishing the job. We can’t let that happen again and trying to claim victory from a distance is not a viable solution.

There is a time for rhetoric… not now. There is a time for negotiations… not now. There is a time to let others handle the problem… not now, we started it. There is a time to step on their necks and not stop until they are wiped off the map and relegated to the biography of a failed president… that time is now. Now is the time to claim victory and fight for the peace and stability of the region.

Dichotomy

Every month during our state meeting at the lodge we take a moment to recognize Masonic birthdays. Essentially, anyone who became a Mason in November would celebrate their Masonic birthday in November. Last night we decided to change things up a bit.

Rather than taking note of the Masonic birthdays for this month we took time to honor those who have served our country. All of our brothers who served in the armed forces lined up across the lodge and, one by one, stated their name, branch, and years of service. All branches were represented as well as service times ranging from 2 to 36 years and across generations from WWII to Iraq and Afghanistan.

All of these men stood tall for a few extra minutes last night. All of these men continued to take pride in themselves and the morals that have guided them through their Masonic lives. Each and every one of them deserves the respect of all those who enjoy the rights and freedoms that they fought to uphold and defend.

There was also some news being talked about yesterday and last night that lies in stark contrast to the integrity and honesty that these men embody. It seems as though there are some in Washington that do not hold those morals in such high regard. Some have outright lied to us for years despite knowing the falsehood that they preached. Yes, Mr. Obama, I am talking about you!

The entire healthcare debacle and the lies used to push the agenda has left many with little, if any, faith in the federal government. The utter deceit and disregard for consequence is a model that cannot unite a people under one cause. It is a political calculation that can only result in the division of the people.

Furthermore, the recent news released by the Food and Drug Administration is completely absurd and is a power grab by and agency with a severe case of Jan syndrome. The FDA feels that they should be the ones to focus on public health and police the people but now Obamacare and the cronies therein are grabbing all the headlines. Marsha! Marsha! Marsha!

The FDA should ban these two... they're worse for our health than trans fats.

The FDA announcement regarding trans fats in processed foods and the elimination thereof is, in my opinion, an extension of the Obamacare program and a means for the FDA administrators to participate in the potato sack race. It gives the FDA additional control over the decisions that people are allow to make which, in their eyes, will reduce the health and therefore insurance risk. Basically, the President (Obama) wants to be your daddy, HHS (Sebelius) wants to be your mommy, and the FDA wants to be your nanny. Yes, that means you are the child!

Change was promised and that it certainly what we are getting. Now you may even have someone to change your diaper in the new nanny state. I just really hope that this is all a big joke and that Robin Williams will get drunk and perform the Heimlich on a country gasping for air.

Put Down Your Hot Dog For A Second!

Today is Memorial Day, a day that we remember the men and women who lost their lives to ensure our safety as well as our way of life. This is something that we should all be conscious of on a daily basis but sadly we forget. This is a day for us to refocus and appreciate what we have.

Just as I remember the fallen on Veterans Day, for me, Memorial Day is also a day to remember those who could have easily been one of the memorialized. Those who were saved by being a day late or a day early, those who were born a year prior or a year after, and especially those who were sitting a foot to the left or a foot to the right. These people could have easily been etched on the monuments of the fallen. These people need to be remembered and honored not just for their own service but as the keepers of memory… the brothers and sisters in arms who bear the burden of survival and wrestle with the pain of memory. This is also the reason why we should remember the brave lives that were lost somewhere else besides the battlefield.

I consider myself fortunate that there have only been a few in the many generations of my family, from the Revolutionary War to the present, which have lost their lives fighting for this country. However, there have been countless generations who have struggled with their own memories and many who have had to carry the guilt of life.

For this reason, I take this time to not only remember the sacrifices of the fallen but also offer my undying gratitude to all those who have served and could have easily been a second too late or early. Thank you!