“The Women” by Kristin Hannah and “Oath and Honor” by Liz Cheney seem to be two completely different reads. Hannah’s book is a novel about Army nurses who served in Vietnam, and Cheney’s book is a very important modern history of America. I want to thank both of these authors for moving me out of my malaise.
Americans are at a crossroads for the second time in my life. As a baby boomer, born in 1947 while Harry Truman was president, I have vivid memories of the 1963 assassination of John F. Kennedy. Even as a junior in high school, I knew that his death was not the work of a lone glory seeker who appeared to have communist leanings.
JFK’s assassination was a coup de état that ensured the fledgling war in Southeast Asia would be escalated, and a handful of wealthy, prominent individuals would become even more wealthy. The Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C., does not have John F. Kennedy inscribed on its black granite walls, but he was one of the early victims, along with the nearly 59,000 documented souls. Vietnam is still claiming lives because of the diseases spawned from Agent Orange.
I am grateful to Ms. Hannah for reminding me of all the negative happenings during that time period. As a United States Marine serving on active duty during 1966 through 1970, I was one of thousands of young women and men who served our country with distinction. We did not find ways to escape by faking non existent medical abnormalities, fleeing to Canada, or the myriad other means of avoiding the draft.
Freedom is not free. It wasn’t for our founding fathers, and it has not been for all those who value democracy.
Far too many women and men returning from Vietnam were not even welcomed home with a simple “thank you” for their sacrifice and service. “The Women” tells the story in a way that brought the heartache and anguish back to me in a flood of emotions that I thought I had buried long ago.
My anguish now is that we are being subjected to the same political nonsense that robbed our nation of JFK, Martin Luther King, Robert Francis Kennedy and far too many others to mention. They were all Americans who had a voice that was contrary to what the powerbrokers wanted.
Thanks to the vision and sacrifices of our founders, we have a Constitution and form of government that has allowed for a peaceful transfer of power for 247 years with the exceptions of 1865 and 1963. With the murders of Abraham Lincoln and John Kennedy, the will of the people was altered in ways about which we can only speculate.
Lincoln was not a saint, but he proved to be a remarkable leader during the most trying times. JFK was certainly a flawed man, but his vision for all mankind was just beginning to take traction. The Cold War was a challenging time that could have had even worse ramifications. What the two men had in common was a love of country and the moral courage to sacrifice their own lives for the preservation of freedom for all.
Ms. Cheney’s book, “Oath and Honor” has heightened my awareness to the very real and present danger to our society and the future of democracy as we know it. The coup that is being implemented now is powered by fear and division. Those most central to this tactic are counting on Americans to grow so weary of the chaos, that we will give up.
We are truly at a junction in the road, but now is not the time for us to lay down and give up. Immigration is a hot button and certainly must be addressed for the benefit of all. Ironically, nearly all of us are immigrants. What binds us together in America is the reality that only in this country have people been able to raise a family in relative security, practice their own faith openly and peacefully, and cause change through free and fair elections.
Despite the repeated lies of a spoiled 77 year old, who refuses to recognize that he has been a huge benefactor of our system of government, we are approaching that time when we can peacefully vote for change if that is what we want.
What a sad state of affairs that as we approach 250 years as a country, I cannot honestly say that our current leadership deserves to be referred to as “The Honorable Mr and/or Mrs _ _ _ _.” I am tired of their lack of courage and commitment to the oath they all took to defend our Constitution and way of life.
Incessant internal bickering and endless accusations about irrelevant matters are exhausting and unproductive. Legislators have historically struggled, but they somehow managed to put personal differences aside to find common ground that was in the best interest of the majority.
While I am at it, shame on our legal system for saying that no one is above the law and then acting as if certain people are immune to how it works for the rest of us. The Supreme Court is supposed to be one of the checks and balances to preserve and protect our Constitution. It is not in the best interest of the court or our country to act as though they are a political entity. If they cannot conduct themselves in an ethical, moral, and legally responsible manner, it may be time to term limit. We certainly don’t need to expand the court.
I miss the days when we could meet at a coffee shop or in our own living rooms and have a sometimes heated debate about any and all issues. It was life-affirming to go to basic training as a Marine and realize that when stripped to our basic core, we all shared a common objective. No matter our social, ethnic, or economic status, we all desired to live life with the opportunity to succeed or fail on our own terms.
If we as a nation decide to freely elect a man who deliberately tried to circumvent the Constitution because he didn’t like the outcome of a duly held election, then all those patriots from the revolution through the Civil War and all the wars will have died and suffered in vain.
I am an old man who literally kissed the ground and thanked God when I returned from Vietnam in 1970. America is not perfect and never has been. We can only ensure that we have the chance to seek perfection.
Leadership is tough, but some things are necessary to have a chance of doing the job well. Honesty, humility, empathy, integrity, morality and an ability to laugh at one’s own ridiculous flaws are essential. We have enough people with those characteristics to elevate to elected positions so we can concentrate on what matters for all: drinkable water, clean air to breathe, and meaningful work that allows people to attain their dreams.
The Liberty bus needs new tires. The retreads are worn out and not useful. It may be past time for the young to study our history from the 1960s and 1970s. After all, it is your future that is at stake. Trust me, you do not want a dictatorial regime. Thanks again, Kristin and Liz, for the wakeup call!
JCB 2/20/2024
