Duty, honor, country: the principles we cannot abandon

Ikeep watching the train wreck in Washington. Just when I think it can’t get any worse, it does. In high school, then college at various levels, and finally in the Army, critical thinking and learning and applying the historical information that would support it was emphasized over and over. At times, especially in high school, I felt some resentment against this emphasis on critical thinking and didn’t fully understand its importance.

The military emphasizes you will never have all the information. Instead you gather the best and most information you possibly can, but you will probably end up making (and planning) without complete information. You must use critical thinking to analyze what you do have. Not making a decision and not making plans are not acceptable.

What we are seeing in Washington now is a disregard of reliable information or completely ignoring information you don’t like. Instead ,“alternative facts” are being used as a basis for making decisions or a plan. Critical thinking is not being used to analyze the information. Nowhere is this more apparent than in President Donald Trump’s intellectual immaturity. He does not have a background in history or the ability to think critically, both required of a president.

It has also become apparent Mr. Trump is ignoring laws and the Constitution, especially ones regarding emoluments. He apparently is using his office to enrich himself and his family at the expense of the middle class and working poor, many of whom voted for him. He also has no concept of the traditions and customs that have kept our democratic processes working.

For example: On Wednesday, the day after firing the director of the FBI, Mr. Trump received the Russian foreign minister and the Russian ambassador — with only Russian media present. One does not invite representatives of our enemies into the Oval Office and not include representatives of our fourth estate, the press. How do we not know if the Russian team compromised the physical security of the Oval Office?

Many of the people in Congress and Mr. Trump’s appointees are demonstrating they are at the same level of intellectual immaturity as Mr. Trump.

Many of the people representing us seem to have forgotten they have a duty to work for the good of our country, not just submit to party dictates. In some cases, they have been acting in lessthan-honorable ways. An example is the actions of former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn and his attempts to cover them up. The bottom line is if people in charge don’t do their duty and act honorably our country is in danger, in danger of becoming even more politicized and dysfunctional.

While going through 7th Army and U.S. Army Europe’s Noncommissioned Officer Academy in the early 1970s, I had an epiphany after listening to Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s “Duty, Honor and Country” speech. It should be and must be the center of all actions by people in the military, in public service, and myself in my life. This seems to have fallen by the way side for far too many.

To rectify this situation in Washington, changes must be made to Congress. These changes are also needed in our commonwealth. Those who have demonstrated their ignorance of duty, honor and country through their actions such as enacting laws that do harm to millions and to our country and commonwealth in one manner or another must be held to account.

This can only be accomplished by people employing their abilities to think critically. People must look at what elected officials at the local through federal levels have done and how it has affected them. If it has or will adversely affect a voter, that voter must decide whether it is in his or her best interest to vote for that candidate. If it isn’t, then don’t vote for that candidate. Not voting or doing nothing is not an option.

The lack of participation in the electoral process by many and the resultant mess in Washington has resulted in harm to some of our most vulnerable people. It has also resulted in harm to our reputation in the international community.

Citizens must incorporate critical thinking when looking at what is being proposed from politicians. They must also include the tenets of duty, honor and country in their lives. Part of the duty of being a good citizen is to participate in the electoral process. Sitting or doing nothing has no honor. It will continue to harm our country.