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Emails and articles of interest are posted here by John Ray to make them more widely available
"And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed" -- Genesis 12:3
My (Gentile) opinion of antisemitism: The Jews are the best we've got so killing them is killing us.
I have always liked the story of Gideon (See Judges chapters 6 to 8) and it is surely no surprise that in the present age Israel is the Gideon of nations: Few in numbers but big in power and impact.
Postings from Brisbane, Australia by John J. Ray (M.A.; Ph.D.) -- former member of the Australia-Soviet Friendship Society, former anarcho-capitalist and former member of the British Conservative party.
America is no longer the land of the free. It is now the land of the regulated -- though it is not alone in that, of course
The Leftist motto: "I love humanity. It's just people I can't stand"
Why are Leftists always talking about hate? Because it fills their own hearts
Envy is a strong and widespread human emotion so there has alway been widespread support for policies of economic "levelling". Both the USA and the modern-day State of Israel were founded by communists but reality taught both societies that respect for the individual gave much better outcomes than levelling ideas. Sadly, there are many people in both societies in whom hatred for others is so strong that they are incapable of respect for the individual. The destructiveness of what they support causes them to call themselves many names in different times and places but they are the backbone of the political Left
The large number of rich Leftists suggests that, for them, envy is secondary. They are directly driven by hatred and scorn for many of the other people that they see about them. Hatred of others can be rooted in many things, not only in envy. But the haters come together as the Left.
Leftists hate the world around them and want to change it: the people in it most particularly. Conservatives just want to be left alone to make their own decisions and follow their own values.
Ronald Reagan famously observed that the status quo is Latin for “the mess we’re in.” So much for the vacant Leftist claim that conservatives are simply defenders of the status quo. They think that conservatives are as lacking in principles as they are.
The shallow thinkers of the Left sometimes claim that conservatives want to impose their own will on others in the matter of abortion. To make that claim is however to confuse religion with politics. Conservatives are in fact divided about their response to abortion. The REAL opposition to abortion is religious rather than political. And the church which has historically tended to support the LEFT -- the Roman Catholic church -- is the most fervent in the anti-abortion cause. Conservatives are indeed the one side of politics to have moral qualms on the issue but they tend to seek a middle road in dealing with it. Taking the issue to the point of legal prohibitions is a religious doctrine rather than a conservative one -- and the religion concerned may or may not be characteristically conservative. More on that here
Some Leftist hatred arises from the fact that they blame "society" for their own personal problems and inadequacies
The Leftist hunger for change to the society that they hate leads to a hunger for control over other people. And they will do and say anything to get that control: "Power at any price". Leftist politicians are mostly self-aggrandizing crooks who gain power by deceiving the uninformed with snake-oil promises -- power which they invariably use to destroy. Destruction is all that they are good at. Destruction is what haters do.
Leftists are consistent only in their hate. They don't have principles. How can they when "there is no such thing as right and wrong"? All they have is postures, pretend-principles that can be changed as easily as one changes one's shirt
I often wonder why Leftists refer to conservatives as "wingnuts". A wingnut is a very useful device that adds versatility wherever it is used. Clearly, Leftists are not even good at abuse. Once they have accused their opponents of racism and Nazism, their cupboard is bare. Similarly, Leftists seem to think it is a devastating critique to refer to "Worldnet Daily" as "Worldnut Daily". The poverty of their argumentation is truly pitiful
The Leftist assertion that there is no such thing as right and wrong has a distinguished history. It was Pontius Pilate who said "What is truth?" (John 18:38). From a Christian viewpoint, the assertion is undoubtedly the Devil's gospel
"If one rejects laissez faire on account of man's fallibility and moral weakness, one must for the same reason also reject every kind of government action." - Ludwig von Mises
The naive scholar who searches for a consistent Leftist program will not find it. What there is consists only in the negation of the present.
Because of their need to be different from the mainstream, Leftists are very good at pretending that sow's ears are silk purses
Among well-informed people, Leftism is a character defect. Leftists hate success in others -- which is why notably successful societies such as the USA and Israel are hated and failures such as the Palestinians can do no wrong.
A Leftist's beliefs are all designed to pander to his ego. So when you have an argument with a Leftist, you are not really discussing the facts. You are threatening his self esteem. Which is why the normal Leftist response to challenge is mere abuse.
Because of the fragility of a Leftist's ego, anything that threatens it is intolerable and provokes rage. So most Leftist blogs can be summarized in one sentence: "How DARE anybody question what I believe!". Rage and abuse substitute for an appeal to facts and reason.
Their threatened egos sometimes drive Leftists into quite desperate flights from reality. For instance, they often call Israel an "Apartheid state" -- when it is in fact the Arab states that practice Apartheid -- witness the severe restrictions on Christians in Saudi Arabia. There are no such restrictions in Israel.
Because their beliefs serve their ego rather than reality, Leftists just KNOW what is good for us. Conservatives need evidence.
“Absolute certainty is the privilege of uneducated men and fanatics.” -- C.J. Keyser
"Almost all professors of the arts and sciences are egregiously conceited, and derive their happiness from their conceit" -- Erasmus
THE FALSIFICATION OF HISTORY HAS DONE MORE TO IMPEDE HUMAN DEVELOPMENT THAN ANY ONE THING KNOWN TO MANKIND -- ROUSSEAU
"Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him" (Proverbs 26: 12). I think that sums up Leftists pretty well.
Eminent British astrophysicist Sir Arthur Stanley Eddington is often quoted as saying: "Not only is the universe stranger than we imagine, it is stranger than we can imagine." It was probably in fact said by his contemporary, J.B.S. Haldane. But regardless of authorship, it could well be a conservative credo not only about the cosmos but also about human beings and human society. Mankind is too complex to be summed up by simple rules and even complex rules are only approximations with many exceptions.
Politics is the only thing Leftists know about. They know nothing of economics, history or business. Their only expertise is in promoting feelings of grievance
Socialism makes the individual the slave of the state – capitalism frees them.
MESSAGE to Leftists: Even if you killed all conservatives tomorrow, you would just end up in another Soviet Union. Conservatives are all that stand between you and that dismal fate.
Many readers here will have noticed that what I say about Leftists sometimes sounds reminiscent of what Leftists say about conservatives. There is an excellent reason for that. Leftists are great "projectors" (people who see their own faults in others). So a good first step in finding out what is true of Leftists is to look at what they say about conservatives! They even accuse conservatives of projection (of course).
The research shows clearly that one's Left/Right stance is strongly genetically inherited but nobody knows just what specifically is inherited. What is inherited that makes people Leftist or Rightist? There is any amount of evidence that personality traits are strongly genetically inherited so my proposal is that hard-core Leftists are people who tend to let their emotions (including hatred and envy) run away with them and who are much more in need of seeing themselves as better than others -- two attributes that are probably related to one another. Such Leftists may be an evolutionary leftover from a more primitive past.
Leftists seem to believe that if someone like Al Gore says it, it must be right. They obviously have a strong need for an authority figure. The fact that the two most authoritarian regimes of the 20th century (Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia) were socialist is thus no surprise. Leftists often accuse conservatives of being "authoritarian" but that is just part of their usual "projective" strategy -- seeing in others what is really true of themselves.
Following the Sotomayor precedent, I would hope that a wise older white man such as myself with the richness of that experience would more often than not reach a better conclusion than someone who hasn’t lived that life.
IQ and ideology: Most academics are Left-leaning. Why? Because very bright people who have balls go into business, while very bright people with no balls go into academe. I did both with considerable success, which makes me a considerable rarity. Although I am a born academic, I have always been good with money too. My share portfolio even survived the GFC in good shape. The academics hate it that bright people with balls make more money than them.
If I were not an atheist, I would believe that God had a sense of humour. He gave his chosen people (the Jews) enormous advantages -- high intelligence and high drive -- but to keep it fair he deprived them of something hugely important too: Political sense. So Jews to this day tend very strongly to be Leftist -- even though the chief source of antisemitism for roughly the last 200 years has been the political Left!
And the other side of the coin is that Jews tend to despise conservatives and Christians. Yet American fundamentalist Christians are the bedrock of the vital American support for Israel, the ultimate bolthole for all Jews. So Jewish political irrationality seems to be a rather good example of the saying that "The LORD giveth and the LORD taketh away". There are many other examples of such perversity (or "balance"). The sometimes severe side-effects of most pharmaceutical drugs is an obvious one but there is another ethnic example too, a rather amusing one. Chinese people are in general smart and patient people but their rate of traffic accidents in China is about 10 times higher than what prevails in Western societies. They are brilliant mathematicians and fearless business entrepreneurs but at the same time bad drivers!
The above is good testimony to the accuracy of the basic conservative insight that almost anything in human life is too complex to be reduced to any simple rule and too complex to be reduced to any rule at all without allowance for important exceptions to the rule concerned
"Why should the German be interested in the liberation of the Jew, if the Jew is not interested in the liberation of the German?... We recognize in Judaism, therefore, a general anti-social element of the present time... In the final analysis, the emancipation of the Jews is the emancipation of mankind from Judaism.... Indeed, in North America, the practical domination of Judaism over the Christian world has achieved as its unambiguous and normal expression that the preaching of the Gospel itself and the Christian ministry have become articles of trade... Money is the jealous god of Israel, in face of which no other god may exist". Who said that? Hitler? No. It was Karl Marx. See also here and here and here. For roughly two centuries now, antisemitism has, throughout the Western world, been principally associated with Leftism (including the socialist Hitler) -- as it is to this day. See here.
Leftists call their hatred of Israel "Anti-Zionism" but Zionists are only a small minority in Israel
Some of the Leftist hatred of Israel is motivated by old-fashioned antisemitism (beliefs in Jewish "control" etc.) but most of it is just the regular Leftist hatred of success in others. And because the societies they inhabit do not give them the vast amount of recognition that their large but weak egos need, some of the most virulent haters of Israel and America live in those countries. So the hatred is the product of pathologically high self-esteem.
Conservatives, on the other hand could be antisemitic on entirely rational grounds: Namely, the overwhelming Leftism of the Jewish population as a whole. Because they judge the individual, however, only a tiny minority of conservative-oriented people make such general judgments. The longer Jews continue on their "stiff-necked" course, however, the more that is in danger of changing. The children of Israel have been a stiff necked people since the days of Moses, however, so they will no doubt continue to vote with their emotions rather than their reason.
Who said this in 1968? "I am not, and never have been, a man of the right. My position was on the Left and is now in the centre of politics". It was Sir Oswald Mosley, founder and leader of the British Union of Fascists
The term "Fascism" is mostly used by the Left as a brainless term of abuse. But when they do make a serious attempt to define it, they produce very complex and elaborate definitions -- e.g. here and here. In fact, Fascism is simply extreme socialism plus nationalism. But great gyrations are needed to avoid mentioning the first part of that recipe, of course.
Politicians are in general only a little above average in intelligence so the idea that they can make better decisions for us that we can make ourselves is laughable
A quote from the late Dr. Adrian Rogers, 1931–2005: "You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is about the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it."
The Supreme Court of the United States is now and always has been a judicial abomination. Its guiding principles have always been political rather than judicial. It is not as political as Stalin's courts but its respect for the constitution is little better. Some recent abuses: The "equal treatment" provision of the 14th amendment was specifically written to outlaw racial discrimination yet the court has allowed various forms of "affirmative action" for decades -- when all such policies should have been completely stuck down immediately. The 2nd. amendment says that the right to bear arms shall not be infringed yet gun control laws infringe it in every State in the union. The 1st amendment provides that speech shall be freely exercised yet the court has upheld various restrictions on the financing and display of political advertising. The court has found a right to abortion in the constitution when the word abortion is not even mentioned there. The court invents rights that do not exist and denies rights that do.
"Some action that is unconstitutional has much to recommend it" -- Elena Kagan, nominated to SCOTUS by Obama
The U.S. Constitution is neither "living" nor dead. It is fixed until it is amended. But amending it is the privilege of the people, not of politicians or judges
The book, The authoritarian personality, authored by T.W. Adorno et al. in 1950, has been massively popular among psychologists. It claims that a set of ideas that were popular in the "Progressive"-dominated America of the prewar era were "authoritarian". Leftist regimes always are authoritarian so that claim was not a big problem. What was quite amazing however is that Adorno et al. identified such ideas as "conservative". They were in fact simply popular ideas of the day but ones that had been most heavily promoted by the Left right up until the then-recent WWII. See here for details of prewar "Progressive" thinking.
The basic aim of all bureaucrats is to maximize their funding and minimize their workload
A lesson in Australian: When an Australian calls someone a "big-noter", he is saying that the person is a chronic and rather pathetic seeker of admiration -- as in someone who often pulls out "big notes" (e.g. $100.00 bills) to pay for things, thus endeavouring to create the impression that he is rich. The term describes the mentality rather than the actual behavior with money and it aptly describes many Leftists. When they purport to show "compassion" by advocating things that cost themselves nothing (e.g. advocating more taxes on "the rich" to help "the poor"), an Australian might say that the Leftist is "big-noting himself". There is an example of the usage here. The term conveys contempt. There is a wise description of Australians generally here
Some ancient wisdom for Leftists: "Be not righteous overmuch; neither make thyself over wise: Why shouldest thou die before thy time?" -- Ecclesiastes 7:16
People who mention differences in black vs. white IQ are these days almost universally howled down and subjected to the most extreme abuse. I am a psychometrician, however, so I feel obliged to defend the scientific truth of the matter: The average black adult has about the same IQ as an average white 11-year-old. The American Psychological Association is generally Left-leaning but it is the world's most prestigious body of academic psychologists. And even they have had to concede that sort of gap (one SD) in black vs. white average IQ. 11-year olds can do a lot of things but they also have their limits and there are times when such limits need to be allowed for.
Jesse Jackson: "There is nothing more painful to me at this stage in my life than to walk down the street and hear footsteps and start thinking about robbery -- then look around and see somebody white and feel relieved." There ARE important racial differences.
Some Jimmy Carter wisdom: "I think it's inevitable that there will be a lower standard of living than what everybody had always anticipated," he told advisers in 1979. "there's going to be a downward turning."
R.I.P. Augusto Pinochet. Pinochet deposed a law-defying Marxist President at the express and desperate invitation of the Chilean parliament. He pioneered the free-market reforms which Reagan and Thatcher later unleashed to world-changing effect. That he used far-Leftist methods to suppress far-Leftist violence is reasonable if not ideal. The Leftist view that they should have a monopoly of violence and that others should follow the law is a total absurdity which shows only that their hate overcomes their reason
Did William Zantzinger kill poor Hattie Carroll?
The "steamroller" above who got steamrollered by his own hubris. Spitzer is a warning of how self-destructive a vast ego can be -- and also of how destructive of others it can be.
Many people hunger and thirst after righteousness. Some find it in the hatreds of the Left. Others find it in the love of Christ. I don't hunger and thirst after righteousness at all. I hunger and thirst after truth. How old-fashioned can you get?
Heritage is what survives death: Very rare and hence very valuable
I completed the work for my Ph.D. at the end of 1970 but the degree was not awarded until 1974 -- due to some academic nastiness from Seymour Martin Lipset and Fred Emery. A conservative or libertarian who makes it through the academic maze has to be at least twice as good as the average conformist Leftist. Fortunately, I am a born academic.
As well as being an academic, I am an army man and I am pleased and proud to say that I have worn my country's uniform. Although my service in the Australian army was chiefly noted for its un-notability, I DID join voluntarily in the Vietnam era, I DID reach the rank of Sergeant, and I DID volunteer for a posting in Vietnam. So I think I may be forgiven for saying something that most army men think but which most don't say because they think it is too obvious: The profession of arms is the noblest profession of all because it is the only profession where you offer to lay down your life in performing your duties. Our men fought so that people could say and think what they like but I myself always treat military men with great respect -- respect which in my view is simply their due.
Two lines below of a famous hymn that would be incomprehensible to Leftists today ("honor"? "right"? "freedom?" Freedom to agree with them is the only freedom they believe in)
First to fight for right and freedom,
And to keep our honor clean
It is of course the hymn of the USMC -- still today the relentless warriors that they always were.
I imagine that few of my readers will understand it, but I am an unabashed monarchist. And, as someone who was born and bred in a monarchy and who still lives there (i.e. Australia), that gives me no conflicts at all. In theory, one's respect for the monarchy does not depend on who wears the crown but the impeccable behaviour of the present Queen does of course help perpetuate that respect. Aside from my huge respect for the Queen, however, my favourite member of the Royal family is the redheaded Prince Harry. The Royal family is of course a military family and Prince Harry is a great example of that. As one of the world's most privileged people, he could well be an idle layabout but instead he loves his life in the army. When his girlfriend Chelsy ditched him because he was so often away, Prince Harry said: "I love Chelsy but the army comes first". A perfect military man! I doubt that many women would understand or approve of his attitude but perhaps my own small army background powers my approval of that attitude.
The kneejerk response of the Green/Left to people who challenge them is to say that the challenger is in the pay of "Big Oil", "Big Business", "Big Pharma", "Exxon-Mobil", "The Pioneer Fund" or some other entity that they see, in their childish way, as a boogeyman. So I think it might be useful for me to point out that I have NEVER received one cent from anybody by way of support for what I write. As a retired person, I live entirely on my own investments. I do not work for anybody and I am not beholden to anybody. And I have NO investments in oil companies, mining companies or "Big Pharma"
UPDATE: Despite my (statistical) aversion to mining stocks, I have recently bought a few shares in BHP -- the world's biggest miner, I gather. I run the grave risk of becoming a speaker of famous last words for saying this but I suspect that BHP is now so big as to be largely immune from the risks that plague most mining companies. I also know of no issue affecting BHP where my writings would have any relevance. The Left seem to have a visceral hatred of miners. I have never quite figured out why.
Despite my great sympathy and respect for Christianity, I am the most complete atheist you could find. I don't even believe that the word "God" is meaningful. I am not at all original in that view, of course. Such views are particularly associated with the noted German philosopher Rudolf Carnap. Unlike Carnap, however, none of my wives have committed suicide
I have no hesitation in saying that the single book which has influenced me most is the New Testament. And my Scripture blog will show that I know whereof I speak. Some might conclude that I must therefore be a very confused sort of atheist but I can assure everyone that I do not feel the least bit confused. The New Testament is a lighthouse that has illumined the thinking of all sorts of men and women and I am deeply grateful that it has shone on me.
I am rather pleased to report that I am a lifelong conservative. Out of intellectual curiosity, I did in my youth join organizations from right across the political spectrum so I am certainly not closed-minded and am very familiar with the full spectrum of political thinking. Nonetheless, I did not have to undergo the lurch from Left to Right that so many people undergo. At age 13 I used my pocket-money to subscribe to the "Reader's Digest" -- the main conservative organ available in small town Australia of the 1950s. I have learnt much since but am pleased and amused to note that history has since confirmed most of what I thought at that early age. Conservatism is in touch with reality. Leftism is not.
I imagine that the RD are still sending mailouts to my 1950s address
Most teenagers have sporting and movie posters on their bedroom walls. At age 14 I had a map of Taiwan on my wall.
"Remind me never to get this guy mad at me" -- Instapundit
I have used many sites to post my writings over the years and many have gone bad on me for various reasons. So if you click on a link here to my other writings you may get a "page not found" response if the link was put up some time before the present. All is not lost, however. All my writings have been reposted elsewhere. If you do strike a failed link, just take the filename (the last part of the link) and add it to the address of any of my current home pages and -- Voila! -- you should find the article concerned.
It seems to be a common view that you cannot talk informatively about a country unless you have been there. I completely reject that view but it is nonetheless likely that some Leftist dimbulb will at some stage aver that any comments I make about politics and events in the USA should not be heeded because I am an Australian who has lived almost all his life in Australia. I am reluctant to pander to such ignorance in the era of the "global village" but for the sake of the argument I might mention that I have visited the USA 3 times -- spending enough time in Los Angeles and NYC to get to know a fair bit about those places at least. I did however get outside those places enough to realize that they are NOT America.
If any of the short observations above about Leftism seem wrong, note that they do not stand alone. The evidence for them is set out at great length in my MONOGRAPH on Leftism.
COMMENTS: I have gradually added comments facilities to all my blogs. The comments I get are interesting. They are mostly from Leftists and most consist either of abuse or mere assertions. Reasoned arguments backed up by references to supporting evidence are almost unheard of from Leftists. Needless to say, I just delete such useless comments.
My academic background
My full name is Dr. John Joseph RAY. I am a former university teacher aged 65 at the time of writing in 2009. I was born of Australian pioneer stock in 1943 at Innisfail in the State of Queensland in Australia. I trace my ancestry wholly to the British Isles. After an early education at Innisfail State Rural School and Cairns State High School, I taught myself for matriculation. I took my B.A. in Psychology from the University of Queensland in Brisbane. I then moved to Sydney (in New South Wales, Australia) and took my M.A. in psychology from the University of Sydney in 1969 and my Ph.D. from the School of Behavioural Sciences at Macquarie University in 1974. I first tutored in psychology at Macquarie University and then taught sociology at the University of NSW. My doctorate is in psychology but I taught mainly sociology in my 14 years as a university teacher. In High Schools I taught economics. I have taught in both traditional and "progressive" (low discipline) High Schools. Fuller biographical notes here
MY OTHER SITES
DISSECTING LEFTISM
GREENIE WATCH
TONGUE TIED
AUSTRALIAN POLITICS
GUN WATCH
PC WATCH
EDUCATION WATCH INTERNATIONAL
FOOD & HEALTH SKEPTIC
EYE ON BRITAIN
SOME MEMOIRS
LEFTIST ELITISM
SOCIALIZED MEDICINE
IMMIGRATION WATCH INTERNATIONAL
RECIPES
OF INTEREST
Of Interest 3
There are also two blogspot blogs which record what I think are my main recent articles here and here
Mirror for "Dissecting Leftism"
China Mirror for "Dissecting Leftism"
Alt archives
Longer Academic Papers
Johnray links
Academic home page
Academic Backup Page
General Backup
General Backup 2
Selected reading
MONOGRAPH ON LEFTISM
CONSERVATISM AS HERESY
Rightism defined
Leftist Churches
Leftist Racism
Fascism is Leftist
Hitler a socialist
What are Leftists
Psychology of Left
Status Quo?
Leftism is authoritarian
James on Leftism
Irbe on Leftism
Beltt on Leftism
Critiques
Lakoff
Van Hiel
Sidanius
Kruglanski
Pyszczynski et al.
Cautionary blogs about big Australian companies:
TELSTRA OPTUS VODAFONE AGL St. George bank Bank of Qld.
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Monday, July 24, 2006
"duty, honor, country"
DUTY'S CALLING: It's Our Duty to Replace the Word Beauty at the VA's New $4 Million "Landmark Gateway Plaza"
By Robert L. Rosebrock
Since 1898, The United States Military Academy has had the words "Duty, Honor, Country" proudly emblazoned on its coat of arms and boldly engraved on some of its oldest buildings. The motto has become such a distinct code for military leadership and loyalty to our country that these time-honored ideals have become firmly embedded into the minds and hearts of all who actively serve in our Armed Forces, regardless of his or her respective branch of service
In his famous "Duty,ÿHonor, Country" speech given to the West Point Cadets in 1962, General Douglas MacArthur resolutely declared: "Those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be, what you can be, what you will be. They are your rallying points: to build courage when courage seems to fail; to regain faith when there seems to be little cause for faith; to create hope when hope becomes forlorn."
This exemplary oration by the General is considered to be among the greatest speeches in American history. It was not only eloquently delivered but his tribute was so singular in purpose that even a small child could understand the overwhelming importance of this sacred motto.
The General's inspirational message notwithstanding, he further forewarned: "The unbelievers will say they are but words, but a slogan, but a flamboyant phrase. Every pedant, every demagogue, every cynic, every hypocrite, every troublemaker, and I am sorry to say, some others of an entirely different character, will try to downgrade them even to the extent of mockery and ridicule."
Well, the General's feared prophecy has now come true and it's been validated at the newly erected $4 million "Landmark Gateway Plaza" and perimeter fence at the local Veterans Administration grounds in Brentwood.
There, at the corner of Wilshire and San Vicente Boulevards, and in bold, bronzed letters are the words "Beauty, Honor, Country." This fallacious effort to belittle the rigors of military duty and pass it off as quaint beauty is either a foolish blunder or outright blasphemy against the code entrusted to the highest calling of public service, our Armed Forces, and the timeless tradition of "Duty, Honor, Country."
Just because someone thought it was clever that beauty rhymes with duty certainly doesn't justify making such a contemptuous change to the legacy of this heralded motto. In fact, there is no rhyme or reason for taking this distinct and hallowed word and replacing it with a nebulous and shallow word.
While a small child could easily understand the reverent tribute to the motto in the General's patriotic speech, he or she would not be able to understand the mockery of it at the Veteran's sacred property.
Above and Beyond the Call of Duty
Duty with Honor is such a paramount responsibility in protecting our Country that the Medal of Honor is awarded to the heroic few, who at the risk of their own life, go above and beyond the call of duty. Unfortunately, there are those who are charged with dereliction to duty and they are consequently dishonorably discharged from the military.
General George Patton, Jr., another legendary World War II hero truly understood the significance of duty to our country and summed it up this way: "Duty is but discipline carried to its highest degree."
In a proud tribute to our military men and women on Armed Forces Day in 1985, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed: "This is a day we set aside to remember and thank those Americans who wear our country's uniform and who serve our nation in so many places around the globe. Many are far from home, and things you and I take for granted -- family, friends, all the good things that go with life in our hometowns -- they've given all these things up for the sake of a challenge and to answer a call. The challenge is the task of defending freedom, and the call they've answered is summarized in three words: `Duty, Honor, Country.'"
George Putnam, the 91-year legendary radio talk show host, decorated World War II Marine, and a true American patriot has always ended his popular "Talk Back" program with "Duty, Honor, Country."
Who's Behind `Beauty Gate'?
The magnitude and importance of Duty is so significant in this patriotic creed that it is the first word declared. So, just how did changing it to beauty actually come about, why, and by whom?
The Veterans Park Conservancy, a non-profit community organization in cooperation with the local Veterans Administration, designed, approved and built the new Gateway Plaza and perimeter fence and then dedicated the project on March 28, 2006. For nearly a year prior, the construction was shielded from public view with a temporary canvass-covered chain link fence, which was kept up for a short period of time after the dedication.
Over Memorial Day weekend, I happened to see Mr. Chuck Dorman, Chief Administrator of the Department of Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, and he asked what I thought about the new fence. I congratulated him and said that it helps to distinguish the Veterans' rightful property.
Later, I stopped to take a closer look at the new Gateway Plaza entry and saw the words "Beauty, Honor, Country." I was dumbfounded, because I've never seen this phrase attributed to the Veterans or the Military.
Consequently, I sent a follow-up e-mail to Mr. Dorman stating that the change of words must be a mistake and "Using the word `beauty' in place of `Duty' makes no sense and certainly lessens the significance of the original military motto. If beauty is actually the chosen word, I'd like to know who determined it and why. If it is a mistake, the word beauty should be removed immediately until the word Duty can officially replace it."
Many Veterans and non-Veterans are now asking was it an innocent mistake or an intentional plan. No explanation has been made and prior to this article going to print, Mr. Dorman had not responded to my e-mail inquiry.
A Public Park or the Veterans Home?
In addition to the beauty debacle at the Plaza, on the opposite side of the entry gate are also bronzed letters that boldly declare this to be the "Los Angeles National Veterans Park." Let there be no misunderstanding; the Veterans property is not a public national park! To the contrary, these sacred grounds were permanently deeded for the essential use as a Veterans Home and Healthcare Center.
Nearly 120 years ago, Arcadia Bandini Stearns de Baker and Senator Percival Jones donated more than 500 acres to the federal government for the specific use and benefit of soldiers and sailors. Accordingly, de Baker's great-great nephew, Ricardo Bandini Johnson, recently declared: "It states six times in the deed that it be permanently maintained as a branch of a home for sailors and soldiers."
Carolina Barrie, also a descendant of the de Baker family has conveyed stories about how ex-soldiers and sailors walked hundreds of miles when it first opened, further noting that at one time, "it housed 45,000 ex-soldiers."
Ms. Barrie has also spoken out against any proposed commercial development of the Veterans property, stating that "If they start with 10 acres, there will be another 20 acres." She's absolutely right, and the same argument can be made about a public national park.
So instead of making a public park on the 16 acres that are now in question, what really needs to be considered is a "Veterans Arboretum and Conservatory" with specialty botanical gardens to provide natural therapy and rehabilitation for patients.
By Invitation Only
The above notwithstanding, the question still remains as to who approved all these unthinkable word and name changes, and why? Not only were these revisions made unilaterally, but Veterans as a whole were not even invited to the dedication ceremony. In fact, the press release to the media declared: "Note to editors: Because of security considerations, this is an invitation-only event. Press I.D. is required. "
What `security considerations' could possibly be involved when it comes to Veterans being invited to their own property? After all, it's the Veterans who have continuously secured the safety of our nation so why are they now considered a threat to the security of their very own property? And who anointed the `press' to be held in higher regard than our Veterans? Have they somehow forgotten that if it weren't for our Veterans, there wouldn't even be a "Freedom of the Press," or any of our other treasured freedoms?
Different Times -- Same Treatment
It's simply inconceivable that there was an `invitation only' dedication for a new project supposedly in honor of our Veterans on their own exclusive property, and then they weren't even invited. It makes you wonder what was so secretive about this dedication and why.
Nevertheless, as more and more Veterans are learning of this unforgivable slap in the face by the Conservancy and the local VA, this kind of disrespect and ingratitude toward Veterans is nothing new.
Contrary to a misconstrued public opinion, our Vietnam War Veterans did not return "all messed up" from infantry combat. Instead, these young soldiers served our country with courage and honor while fighting the enemy abroad, only to return home to a new enemy, an ungrateful society that spat upon them and called them vile names and ostracized them from being welcomed citizens in their own communities.
It's become apparent that time has not healed the societal wounds inflicted upon Vietnam War Veterans, nor has society's disrespect and disdain been lessened. In fact, the more time passes the more it stands still and the deeper the wounds get. Will this tormenting pain of ingratitude ever go away, or will it only get more infectious?
No Friends and No Home
In spite of their honorable duty to our country, society's scornful contempt and disrespect toward Vietnam War Veterans caused major psychological disorders for many. As a result, they tragically resorted to the only `friend' they had left and that was alcohol or drugs, and over the years, many ended up homeless. Today, the local VA is the only possible hope they have left and they deserve to be at this century-old establishment that is rightfully theirs -- lock, land and fellowship.
So, in truth, these Veterans really are not homeless because this property is their legitimate home, just as it has been for all Veterans since 1888. Consequently, the comfort of a warm bed, three square meals, a hot shower, clean clothes and sincere encouragement may be the only incentive they need to realize that there is new hope and a much better way to live.
A New Direction
We can be grateful that there is a positive and constructive future for homeless Veterans and it can be found at New Directions, Inc., headquartered on the local VA property. This non-profit organization offers a long-term drug and alcohol treatment program while providing food, shelter and rehabilitation to Veterans that were previously without a home.
New Directions was co-founded by John Keaveney, a Vietnam War Veteran and the organization's Chief Operating Officer, and Toni Reinis, the Executive Director. Together with their dedicated staff, they run the most successful recovery establishment for Veterans in the United States. All community members should support this remarkable organization by volunteering their time and/or through financial donations.
A Sobering Reality
One thing that history has taught over the years is that alcoholism is not a disgrace, but failure to get proper treatment for it is. Moreover, alcoholism or drug abuse is not confined to homeless Veterans.
Lest we've forgotten, the University Synagogue in Brentwood holds weekly Alcohol Anonymous meetings and has the largest number of attendees west of the Mississippi River. Many of those who regularly attend these meetings to straighten out their lives are doctors, dentists, attorneys, bankers, movie producers, actors, athletes and other professional and established members from surrounding communities. Consequently, the self-righteous need to stop rebuking the homeless Veterans and realize that alcoholism and drug abuse is a disease that takes an even toll on all members of a society.
Welcome Home Veterans
Jay Handal, president of the Greater West Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce has relentlessly and dutifully called for government funding to provide safe housing and proper healthcare for the estimated 27,000 homeless Veterans in Los Angeles. Jay has also challenged WLA Chamber members and the surrounding communities with this responsible proposition: "Let's begin to fix the problem with real solutions. While we build a $4 million fence around the veterans park preserve area, how about investing in those lives who invested in ours?" How could anyone possibly disagree with or deny Jay's patriotic and purposeful plea for help?
Likewise, Los Angeles City Councilman Bill Rosendahl, a Vietnam-era Veteran who has been a major supporter for helping the homeless Veterans, recently declared: "They are the walking wounded and it is our sacred obligation to help them."
Because of the painful memory scars that have cut deep into their hearts and mind, these Veterans deserve the very best treatment we can provide. Think about it; how many homeless Veterans could get a whole new start in life if we spent $4 million providing them with the proper healthcare services and guidance they deserve?
No Veteran Left Behind
The deed to the Veterans property is as sacred as the United States Constitution they pledged to protect and defend when they raised their right hand and solemnly swore: "I am prepared to give my life for my country."
Like all those who serve in the military, they pledged to make the ultimate sacrifice for the benefit of their fellow citizens. So, instead of building a public park that mainly benefits neighboring homeowners and their families while homeless Veterans are left behind on the streets, let's open the doors to their rightful home and give them a chance at starting anew. That's certainly a very small sacrifice to make for the very big debt that is owed for our freedom and independence.
General Omar Bradley, also a World War II hero, reminded all Americans that "Sacrifice, not selfishness, must be the eternal price of liberty."
Land Swap vs. Word Swap
As was covered in the June issue of the "West Los Angeles Business Monthly," local politicians and community members have been expressing outrage over the proposed `land swap' between developers and the 10-acre U.S. Army Reserve Center at Wilshire Boulevard and Veteran Avenue.
Asserting that he was speaking on behalf of the Veterans, Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky declared: "This is hallowed ground!" And indeed it is, just as "Duty, Honor, Country" are hallowed words.
If local politicians and residents are really sincere about their claim of fighting for the best interest of our Veterans and this proposed `land swap,' then they should be even more outraged and supportive over the actual `word swap' at the Gateway Plaza across the street.
Correspondingly, it's their duty to demand the replacement of the word beauty and it's also their duty and responsibility to insure that the Veterans property will always be used as it was originally intended: "To be permanently maintained as a branch of a home for sailors and soldiers."
Wide Open Spaces
There's a cast of neighboring residents who have become veterans at trying to annex the Veterans property for whatever cause they unilaterally deem is for the "good of all." Accordingly, they operate on the premise that what belongs to them is theirs but what belongs to the Veterans is negotiable, and this false sense of entitlement must stop.
We keep hearing that the Veterans property is the last open space on LA's affluent Westside. This is simply not true. If residents of the surrounding communities feel there's a necessity for a public park or whatever serves their interest, then they need to start going to the Brentwood and Los Angeles Country Clubs where there's plenty of open space and ask them to part with some of their cherished land. And if they don't comply with your demands, then use eminent domain if your cause is so just and truly for the best interests of everyone.
Make no mistake; these two neighboring Country Clubs have far more acreage than do the Veterans. Consequently, residents, special interest groups and developers need to stop infringing upon the Veterans property and start negotiating with these two Clubs for new land resources.
Moreover, instead of the misguided efforts to convert the staid Veterans property into a national park that will become overrun with campers, RV's, tour buses and whatnot, there needs to be a genuine focus on the long-term purpose of the VA, and that is to provide a safe haven and optimum healthcare services for our Veterans now, and the future. Anything else directly violates the terms of their deeded property.
Duty's Calling
In observation of all the usurpation and transformation taking place that are contradictory to the true legacy of the Veterans property and military tradition, the time has come for Veterans to collectively unite and rigorously safeguard their `family estate' from outside forces. Consequently, Veterans need to be as passionate about protecting the deed to their property as they were at protecting and defending the Constitution of the United States.
If it requires the continuous rattling the terms of their deed that this property must be "permanently maintained as a branch of a home for sailors and soldiers," then the Veterans need to keep rattling until their message is heard loud and clear.
Duty is calling to protect and preserve this sacred home within our sacred homeland. Never forget, and never let future generations of Veterans forget, that the only purpose of this property is to care for the health and well being of fellow Veterans.
"Duty, Honor, Country"
This time-honored creed encapsulates the most basic obligation for the perpetual guardianship of our great nation. Consequently, the words should not just be engraved on historic buildings at the West Point Military Academy or emblazoned on its coat of arms.
Nor should they be the rallying code for only those who actively serve in our Armed Forces. And most certainly, they should never be unilaterally changed by an unsanctioned campaign that translates their bold and true purpose into a feeble and contradictory notion.
Instead, "Duty, Honor, Country" means exactly what it says and should be proudly displayed everywhere, all the time, because it's the duty of each and every American to honorably preserve and protect our great country.
"I slept and dreamed that life was Beauty;
I woke, and found that life was Duty."
Ellen Sturgis Hooper, American Poet (1816-1841)
To read or listen to General MacArthur's speech, "Duty, Honor, Country," go to: http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/douglasmacarthurthayeraward.html
Article by Robert L. Rosebrock: President of Healthy Hour Enterprises, U.S. Army Veteran, Vietnam-era. You can write him at DutysCalling@aol.com. Reproduced here by permision of the author. The author adds:
"Could you please make a note that this article appears in the "Greater West Los Angeles Business Monthly," the newspaper for the Greater West Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce. I'd also like it known that I am not responding to the original blog spot submitted by Jeffers Dodge. I sent Mr. Dodge a copy of the article in late June, as I sent to many people, asking if he could forward the article on to like-minded individuals. Unfortunately, he has passed this information off as his story own story without ever acknowledging me. Politics as usual. Accordingly, we're trying to keep this from any political campaign grandstanding, but mistakes do happen."
posted by JR
12:43 PM
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