Archive for August, 2008
Is military desertion courageous?
Jeremy Hinzman is the most recent military deserter losing his legal battle to stay in Canada. I read his story while visiting our son and daughter-in-law at Ft. Bragg in Fayetteville, NC; home of the Army Special Forces, the Green Beret. There I met men and women who have clarity of thought, a code of honor, and a love of country; values so clear I immensely admire and genuinely envy them. If you want to meet a real hero, just visit a military base. Their moral fiber is unwavering, giving me little tolerance for those who abandon their oath. With this admitted bias, I would like to discuss those who desert our country.
The United States – the world’s provider and protector
We consider ourselves a giving, caring country. But how do we compare to other “rich” nations in our willingness to provide foreign aid? The Paris-based Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is a thirty-nation organization that works with countries to develop “open market economies, democratic pluralism, and respect for human rights.” In 2003, OECD reported how much their member countries gave in foreign aid. The United States was responsible for 35 percent of the total contributions of the thirty nations and gave more than twice that of the next biggest giver, Japan. But, when the same foreign aid data was presented as a percentage of the country’s gross national income; the United States did not fare as well, ranking in the lower third of the world’s richest countries, giving only 0.15 percent of our gross national income compared to the most generous country, Norway, that gave 0.92 percent, followed by Denmark that gave 0.84 percent.
Cohabitation – still just shacking up
It’s called cohabitation, the progressive, enlightened, and politically correct term for old-fashioned shacking up. The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development reports that “cohabitation, once rare, is now the norm.” Roughly 10% of couples living together are not married. It used to be wrong, discussed in whispers. Our mothers would point to those who “lived together,” explaining in hushed tones they were not married. What changed? Were our mothers wrong?
We need to return to a citizen government
Our Founding Fathers believed serving as President or in Congress was a duty to country, a sacrifice for country, a calling. They did not anticipate Congress becoming a career choice with members subservient to the power of the incumbency and the money it attracts. Rather, the Founding Fathers intended a weak federal government, subservient to much stronger state governments that served a powerful citizenry. Thomas Jefferson resisted all attempts to foster a strong federal government, adamant the power must rest with the people. What went wrong? Does the power rest with the people, as it should? Does Congress do the peoples’ work? The movie Charlie Wilson’s War explains how well Congress tends to the people. Asked by a political activist, “Why do congressmen talk so much and do nothing,” Charlie Wilson responded, “Tradition mostly.” The Founding Fathers intended a citizen government, run by people like you and me, serving our country, doing the peoples’ work, and then going home.
