Public Debate

            I teach debate. Hanging in my classroom is a poster that reads, “Think rationally. Articulate clearly. Engage kindly.” One of the primary skillsets we work on is the ability to engage in civil discourse. After all, I choose the debate topics hoping to arouse students’ passions. Sometimes, thankfully rarely, students let their passions overwhelm them and they fail to “engage kindly.” It’s understandable. After all, they are teenagers and given to extremes. But that is part of why I teach debate. I want my students to learn how to conduct themselves appropriately when taking part in a debate; whether it is organized or an impromptu discussion in the hallway. So, I find recent actions by leaders quite frustrating.

            It is one thing to disagree with someone. It’s acceptable to point out flaws in reasoning, logic, or facts; however, civil discourse does not include personal attack or character defamation. In truth, when anyone, self-included, descends into personal insult they erode the cogency of their argument. Personal attacks, no matter the height of the office, have no place in our national discourse on policy. Our form of government depends upon the clear and unfettered exchange of ideas through debate. We believe that good policy emerges from vigorous, yet civil, debate. We believe in this so strongly that we included the following ideas in the first amendment in the Bill of Rights; freedom of speech, press, assembly, and to seek redress of grievances. These rights, and others secure our ability to criticize and protest actions of our government.

            When governmental leaders respond to criticism of policy by encouraging holders of dissenting opinions to leave the country, they’re missing the point of our form of government. I grew up in the ’60s and ’70s, and remember the saying, “America, Love it or Leave it,” and thought we’d moved beyond that simplistic vision of our nation. It is not unpatriotic to want to improve our nation. While we do get many things correct and enjoy an enviable standard of living, we still have a variety of issues to work on. Labeling those that seek redress from the government as malcontents and encouraging their departure demeans our constitution and all those who’ve sacrificed to preserve its ideals. Such language coming from elected officials, sworn to protect the constitution, dismays me.

            I feel I must speak out against this erosion of our civil institutions. We must work to reinvigorate the ideas laid out in our foundational documents, holding leaders accountable for the things that they say. It is not useful to shrug and say, “They all do it.” They do not all do it and such a cavalier attitude toward such speech only emboldens those who employ such repugnant tactics. Should we continue to shirk our responsibilities in this arena we will pay a significant cultural price. A politician may espouse policy positions we deem important; but, if they engage in such reckless speech, we should withdraw our support unless they change. The damage their behavior does to the fabric of our nation outweighs any transient policy gains. Additionally, it makes my job as a teacher of debate much harder.

            The example of leaders carries great weight with my students. It is one thing for me to stand up and tell them something, but when they see respected national leaders employing such intellectually dishonest strategies, they discount what I say. They see a holder of high office engaging in such attack speech and assume that it must be acceptable. Sadly, our political history is replete with those who used speech as a weapon; yet, we aspire to a higher standard. Look at those leaders which have inspired our nation to greatness, and you will find men and women who focused on ideas rarely, if ever, savaging an opponent’s character. We must speak truth to power, demanding that they elevate public discourse. Not only do they shape policy, but they also help set the standard for enlightened debate in our nation. My support of a boorish, bullying, leader tells my students that I accept their behaviors as normal. This far outweighs any transient policy considerations. Of course, policy matters; but how we treat each other matters more. Calling on those that disagree with us to leave is the action of a despot and tyrant. Instead, leaders ought to engage in the messy work of figuring out what we can do to solve seemingly intractable problems. If we work together, without name-calling and innuendo, we will find the solutions to problems. That is the example I wish to hold up to my debate students. I want them to pick future leaders that handle public office and responsibility appropriately. Consequently, I cannot and will not lift up those who engage in sophomoric diatribe as worthy of emulation. Their words and their actions reveal their true nature and character and have no place in reasoned debate, civil discourse, or a civilized nation.

Character Matters, Part II Truth

            As a lieutenant, I was assigned to a remote communications facility on top of a German mountain deep in a forest far from other U.S. forces. Due to the remoteness of the location, I rarely saw my superiors; consequently, they did not know me well. In fact, if I and my soldiers did our jobs well, I rarely interacted with my superiors. During this time period, the Army went through a drastic reduction in force due to the end of the “Cold War.” Senior rater comments on evaluations meant the difference between promotion and retention. Even anemic comments might effectively close the door to further promotion and future service. These salient facts on the course of my future were never far from my waking thoughts. Two battalion commanders came and went with almost no interaction and the associated average evaluations. Finally, a new commander arrived who made it a priority to get out and see his entire battalion, including my remote station. Thankfully, he felt like I was excelling in difficult circumstances. At the appropriate time, he wrote a stellar evaluation, one that was sure to secure future promotion; however, he committed one of the few unrecoverable mistakes one can make in the Army. He was caught up in a series of lies and forced to retire. That glowing evaluation never went forward. In the eyes of the Army, how could a liar be trusted to properly evaluate anything, especially the fitness of a subordinate officer? He inability to tell the truth about a personal matter spilled over into the rest of his life, casting a long shadow which threatened to engulf me. Fortunately, my career survived, but that glaring empty spot in my record remained with me for years. Oddly, I kept my copy of his evaluation and would occasionally drag it out and read it for reassurance. Somewhere, in my dusty personal military files, it still sits. The lesson it taught me remains vivid in my mind. Truth matters.

            Some philosophers and more than a few prognosticators enjoy talking about an emerging “post-truth” age. They base this on a growing relativism, especially among a few prominent politicians. Spend enough time around the water cooler at work or at a local coffee shop and you will likely hear, “Well everything’s relative.” People trot out this phrase when faced with inconvenient truths about an opinion they hold. It sounds urbane, and in their mind, shuts the door on further discussion. While some things are relative, I like buttermilk biscuits better than ordinary, truth does matter, and we discard an instance on truthfulness at our own peril and that of our country and culture. And in this upcoming election cycle truth matters.

             When we evaluate seekers of high office and public trust, we must consider their ability to properly handle facts, especially the inconvenient ones. It is not difficult to handle the positive facts of my life. I like sharing them. It is those darker moments of failure that challenge, and the darker the moment, the greater the challenge. How a candidate handles those moments reveals their character. We all fail, and we all make poor choices. When faced with that moment of truth, do we rise to the challenge, or do we dissemble and fail to own our mistake. All public office makes heavy demands upon the holder. We trust them to make weighty decisions on our behalf. Billions of dollars change hands at their direction. Some decisions imperil lives, civilian as well as military. We must trust our leaders to be forthcoming when evaluating matters of national interest. How they handle the truth in the rough and tumble period of a campaign opens a window into their character.

            If, in the furnace of an impassioned campaign, a candidate resorts to telling lies about an opponent or spreading innuendo then we know that they are not reliable. It does not matter what they say in support of our policy preferences, they are not trustworthy.  We cannot trust them and how can we expect others that they deal with to trust them. How can we expect other world leaders and the leaders in other branches of government to trust them? Dissembling reveals much more than it hides. When a candidate dissembles regarding some past problem, we know that not only are they inconsistent, they are unrepentant. Truth is paramount in creating trust. And trust is paramount in the proper working of government and international relations. If we cannot trust a candidate to tell the truth, then we cannot trust them to do the right thing with the responsibility of high office.

           

           

Character Matters

            As the 2020 Presidential campaign spins up with increasing fervor, and perhaps acrimony, I thought I’d spend some time considering once again what makes for a good candidate for high office. As an independent voter, I try to consider all my alternatives. I do not espouse membership in any particular party. I do not wish to carry their baggage. If I join a party, then, in some fashion, I must support the platform. Every party expresses certain beliefs that trouble me, some minor, others major; consequently, I try to examine each aspirant to public office based on two things, their personal character and do they support most of the things that I consider important for the development of our country and society. So why should I evaluate character and why is it important?

            In our current cultural milieu, we tend to avoid character evaluation, misusing such passages as, “…Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her,” John 8:7, or “Judge not, and you will not be judged;…,” Luke 6:37a. These verses fit well our penchant for excusing our own misdeeds; but, taken in context they do not prohibit the evaluation of someone’s character. In fact, elsewhere in the Bible, particularly in I Timothy 3, we find instructions on how to evaluate a person for leadership within the context of the body of Christ. When considering a person for representative or high office, one ought to consider character traits. Has the applicant displayed the traits needed for great responsibility? We avoid quoting this particularly germane scripture, “For to everyone who has will more be given,…,” Matthew 25:29a. Here, Jesus reminds us that increase in responsibility ought to be proceeded by some evidence of good stewardship. Have they displayed the character traits that establish their trustworthiness for increased responsibility? So, when we examine a candidate, we not only evaluate their spoken and written policy pronouncements, we need to consider the tenor of their life.

            We’re not looking for perfection, otherwise none need apply. The last person that achieved perfection is otherwise occupied and not running for office. When examining a candidate for fitness, we should carefully consider how they’ve handled previous levels of responsibility. Did they faithfully discharge their duties, or did they shirk odious or difficult tasks? We need to examine their long-term relationships, and yes this includes familial as well as business relations. When granting high-level security clearances, the military considers extra-marital affairs as a negative factor, not out of puritanical devotion to the institute of marriage, but extra-marital affairs indicate a level of willingness to remain true to an oath. Divorce need not disqualify; however, moving from one relationship to another with various peccadilloes in between, indicates a certain character flaw. Therefore, obtaining a high-level clearance is an arduous lengthy task. The military seeks to discover any moral turpitude prior to granting access to sensitive information. And character provides a window, a preview as it were, into how a person will handle unforeseen situations and challenges.

            A person’s character reveals their modus operandi, their preferred way of doing things, their habits. And this, perhaps even more than their stated goals, reveals how faithfully they will discharge their duties. In the realm of responsibility, the how matters as much as the what, in some situations perhaps even more. Despite cultural myth to the opposite, most officeholders seek to make good on their promises. But there are always unforeseen situations and problems. Character and previous performance provide an indication of how a person will handle challenges. Additionally, a leader’s character influences the behaviors and character of the organization they lead.

            The military espouses this truism, “An organization adopts the personality of its leader.” And it’s true. An organization quickly assimilates the character traits of its leader. If a leader is of high moral fiber, the organization moves in that direction. If the leader is of low character, willing to dissemble and compromise morally, soon the organization behaves in a like fashion. The leader sets the standard. In this arena, character outweighs any policy pronouncements or campaign speeches. When we select a leader, we must consider their character as evidenced by prior behaviors. The organization they lead, in this case, our national government, will assume the norms of the leader. If a candidate behaves in ways we find reprehensible, soon the government will behave similarly. So if we care about the character of our government, we must care about those we appoint as its leaders. We will not find perfect individuals, but good individuals, men and women of strong moral fiber.

            We must avoid the temptation to wave away criticism of a candidate’s character with the bromide of, “Well they all do it.” Yes, we are all failed individuals. If you turn over enough stones in my past, you will find ugliness, instances of extreme failure. But we can judge a person’s worth for public office by their character. If their past indicates moral looseness, an inability or unwillingness to live a life governed by moral standards, then they do not deserve our support, no matter their professed political positions. Their previous actions foretell failure when in the crucible of unforeseen crisis. Character matters. And we must discipline ourselves to carefully examine those that seek public office, judging their fitness, not on party affiliation or professed policy but on their previous behaviors.

Unjust Laws

            “We have to enforce the laws, don’t we,” asked my friend gravely.

            I gazed at him through the rising coffee steam, considering his rhetorical question. We were discussing conditions at our southern border. We frequently meet at a local coffee establishment to solve world problems. On this day, we tackled illegal immigration. Like most, we’d seen the horrific photograph of a drowned father and daughter and were saddened. But beyond that our responses diverged. My friend framed the problem as one of rule of law. These people were trying to come across the border without proper documentation. That made them lawbreakers, and as lawbreakers, they represented an assault on the rule of law. The laws were on our books and as a civilized nation, one which protected its borders, we needed to enforce the laws as written. But does having a law on the books justify enforcement?

            What if the law is capricious, or unjust? May we simply say that “It’s the law. We’re only enforcing the law. And, we must enforce the law until we change or remove it.” My inner vision returns to the photograph of the bodies floating in the Rio Grande. Yes, it is true that the father chose poorly. He placed himself and his child at risk, paying a dear price for his choice. But, do we not share in the culpability? We knowingly set the conditions for such a choice. By refusing entry for those willing to await a decision of asylum, we increased his desperation. By adopting a policy of strict enforcement of familial separation, we pushed a man and his child into the desert margins. Yes, he bears the burden of his poorly considered decision; but, do we bear the burden of an ill-conceived law and draconian policy. We create our laws and develop policy for their enforcement. Must we enforce laws that lead to such tragedy? Are those that break the law always on the side of chaos and disorder?

            Many of our national heroes were lawbreakers, challenging what they perceived as unjust laws. We hold them up as men and women of great character, encouraging our youth to embrace such clear sight and boldness. George Washington, John Adams, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., the Bus Riders, Cesar Chavez, and many others all ignored established laws in order to create a better future and improve our nation. And such heroes are not limited to our nation. The human story is rich with individuals that ignored, or challenged, unjust laws. We hold Mahatma Gandhi, Moses, Malala Yousafszi, and Jesus in special reverence for their willingness to challenge unjust laws. The Lord, no lover of chaos or disorder, speaks harshly about unjust laws.

            In Isaiah 10:1-4, the Lord, through His prophet warns “those who decree iniquitous decrees…,” about coming judgment for making and enforcing abusive laws. He makes a similar complaint in Jeremiah 5:27-29, again warning of impending punishment. Several hundred years later Jesus takes up the same refrain in Matthew 23:1-36. In this rather famous passage, often referred to as the seven woes, Jesus inserts a particularly pertinent passage, “²³ Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law, justice and mercy and faithfulness.” And these are just a handful of the passages in which the Lord takes up the cause of the widow, orphan, poor, and sojourner. I do not believe that we can hide behind the fig-leaf of, “We’re just enforcing the law,” or “If we don’t enforce the law there will be chaos.” In James 2:13 we read these sobering words, “¹³ For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.” We should not enforce such iniquitous laws and ought to remove them from our books.

            The laws and policies as written and enforced stain our nation, revealing our inherent selfishness and churlish attitude toward the impoverished sojourner. Images like the one of the poor father and child ought to shame us into action. We ought to clamor for change. We may still need to send some of those that appear on our shores back, but I doubt that’s the case. Recent studies show that we need to increase the numbers of immigrants we let into our nation. We need an infusion of those willing to take those entry-level jobs that our society depends upon but would rather not do; however, that is a subject for another essay. The issue we face is an unjust law.

When we write laws or develop and enforce policies, that add to human suffering we must address the situation. It does no good to say, “We’re simply enforcing the law.” If a law or policy results in rending families asunder, when they are at their most vulnerable, we must change that law. And until we do so, not enforce that unjust law. Our laws must not add to human suffering. Fathers and mothers make the difficult decision to uproot their families, undertake an arduous trek with very little in the way of resources, crossing a desert, in order to hopefully obtain a greater measure of security and hope for the future. We must not increase their misery through ill-conceived policies that separate them at their most vulnerable. If we do decide that feeding our military-industrial-complex is more important than expanding the frontiers of human freedom and turn them back, we must do so with as much humanity as possible. We must provide those whose appeals for mercy we reject decent housing and appropriate food and necessary healthcare. Our humanity demands such treatment. The time for handwringing past long ago.

Now we must raise the clarion call to write the wrong and provide redress for the suffering cast upon our shores. The numbers of those seeking shelter and entry has steadily dropped since the year 2000. We do not face a crisis of chaos on our border. We face a crisis of our own moral failure. We’ve turned a blind eye to suffering and let crass politicians use these people as political sound bites in order to energize their base. These sojourners pose no threat, existential or otherwise. While we should exert an appropriate control over our borders, we must not create a situation which leads to needless tragedies. We extol and embrace higher ideals, ones that welcome the sojourner. No matter the law they broke in trying to come, no one should end up face down on the muddy bank of the nation they were trying to reach. It’s just not right and it’s not who we are.

On the Fourth

            Today, the Fourth of July, we celebrate the founding of our nation. As Christy and I walked this morning we noted all the flags and bunting; which sprouted like wildflowers across our neighborhood. In fact, I replaced a worn and bent flagstaff with a new, sharper one in order to fly my flag in an appropriate fashion. Now, it is up and proudly waving in the West-Texas breeze, and I feel appropriately patriotic. But, what does it mean to be patriotic?

            Does flying a flag and barbecuing beef, which I will do later this afternoon, make me patriotic? How about setting off fireworks in the evening? Does that make me properly patriotic? Do I need to attend a parade, armed with a small flag to wave at the floats and marching bands as they pass? I could drag out an old uniform, attempting to stretch it across my waist, and wear to a parade. Would that make me patriotic? What are intrinsically patriotic acts? Is it particularly patriotic to honor and revere our military machine? In some places, we will engage in a corporate flexing of military muscle with fly-bys, rumbling tanks, and other displays of our military prowess. Does patriotism require fawning at the feet of the military? Does our military might equate national power and greatness?

            Do not get me wrong. I served in the Army of the early eighties; a time in which many did not respect those in uniform. The national wounds of Vietnam still smarted. I remember walking off post in the evening, wearing the uniform, and having people in cars throw trash at us. So, as a soldier, albeit retired, I appreciate the periodic expression of thanks I receive from grateful fellow citizens. But is military service the way we truly express patriotism? Where can I go to gain clarity about patriotism?

            In its final words the Declaration of Independence offers a good, succinct definition of patriotism. “And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.” Patriotism involves sacrifice. These men, not only wrote eloquently, they walked out their patriotism. They sacrificed for the betterment of others. True patriotism leads us to consider how we might better the world, not how we might better profit from the world. Our national might lies not in our military strength. In the final analysis, military strength does not equate to patriotic greatness. All too often, military strength is more an exercise in bullying. We fail to exert the influence we want so we resort to force. In our own revolution, we never fielded an army or navy capable of taking on the British military machine, yet we prevailed in the end. True patriotism involves listening to our better selves. And listening, cultivating, our better selves leads us not only to true patriotism but also, to true greatness.

            Our military might does not make us great. Our compassion and willingness to sacrifice for the good of others makes us great. When we bind up the wounds of others, we are great. When we take up the basin and towel to ease the hurts of the world, we find greatness. When we open our hands to the destitute, comfort the frightened, and welcome the homeless, we show true patriotism and our nation will be truly great. True patriots shift their focus, their gaze off themselves and onto the needs of others, seeking ways to make our country a better, more wholesome place. So this Fourth of July, I purpose that we spend some time thinking of ways to show our patriotism by taking actions that provide succor to the downtrodden, truly expanding the frontiers of freedom.

           

           

Led In Worship

            Regulations, checklists, field manuals, training manuals, and standing operating procedures circumscribe life in the Army. Twenty-seven years conforming to strictly enforced standards shaped me into a buttoned-down, squared away individual. I am on time. I place great value on self-control in all circumstances. I thrive on good order and discipline. I do my best to always follow through in every situation. I march to the sound of the guns and tend to conform to the standards of my organization. For the most part, this makes me a very successful individual. Discipline and willingness to follow orders works well in the civilian work environment as well as the military. Of course, such discipline and self-control do not work in worship.

            Worship in spirit and truth requires surrender of self. True, deep worship involves a certain reckless abandon. And when I come to the edge and look over into the abyss of the unknown, I hesitate and draw back. Emotions are tricky things and once unleashed, are not easily harnessed once again. Yet, in every worship service, the praise band calls me into unrestrained worship. They lead by example, giving themselves totally to the moment, surrendering to a greater, higher, power. They wade into the living water, turn and beckon to me, saying, “Come on in. The water’s fine. This is a safe place to be.”

            As with all humans, there are untidy places in my life, things I did poorly, things I failed to do, sins whose effects still echo in those quiet moments of my life. I have emotions I keep tucked away in a locked cupboard behind a carefully lettered sign which reads, “DO NOT OPEN!” God wants me to open the doors and let the sweet breath of His Spirit waft away those hurts and fears. I hesitate. And then I see them, reveling in His presence, preparing the way for those more timid souls. And as the waves of sound wash over me, they take me by the hand and usher me into a safer, closer place; a place where God softly and gently removes the “DO NOT OPEN” sign, opens the doors, and blows away the hurt, guilt, and pain, leaving healing, joy, and peace. They help me loosen the ingrained, well-practiced, comfortable constraints of military life. They open the doors to that special place. A place where effervescent joy sometimes bubbles up sometimes tears flow, and sometimes through them, the Lord leads me to a peaceful place where a sublime unexplainable calm floods my soul. Led by them and their example, I peek behind the veil and behold God. And isn’t that the purpose of worship.

Memorial Day 2019

            Every Memorial Day, I pause and think about those comrades who died while deployed. One sticks in my mind. We desperately tried to get him to medical treatment on time. He bled out as we carried him across the FOB in makeshift litter made of a poncho, his bootheels cutting grooves which collected his blood. On this day we honor him and all those like him that perished in the service of their country. I also think of Howie.

            Howie served in a subordinate unit. He did so with great efficiency and as required, bravery. During this deployment, we pursued a very aggressive set of operations designed to subdue Al Qaeda in Iraq, often known as AQI. In these operations, we sought to synchronize multiple services, and nations. We endured many stretches of uninterrupted labor, inside and outside the wire, often working thirty-six or forty-eight hours at a stretch. In some of our operations, we coordinated the movements of units from the United States and back. We enjoyed great success though at a great price in men and material. At the end of the operation, we’d either killed or driven key segments of the AQI organization from the operational field. We were exhausted. A picture of me snapped when I was unawares shows a man who was “rode hard and put up wet.”

            Howie returned to the states shortly after the end of the operation. He arrived in the states early in the week and as always attended the chapel, where he sang in the choir. There, on the first Sunday of his return, he collapsed while singing. He died in front of his wife, children, and friends while worshiping. We’d all noticed his haggard look, but we then we all looked pretty rugged. None of us could imagine the corrosive effects of the pace on Howie. The demands of the operational pace had consumed him. Though Howie did not die of wounds due to enemy action, his wife and children remain deprived of a loving husband and father and their grief and pain remain just as real as if he died in the violence of an improvised explosive device. I think of him and how hard he worked and how worn he was. Howie had poured his life out in Iraq and there was nothing left. So, I remember Howie and other friends like him who gave all they had and were crushed in the process.