American Heroes Laid to Rest

This past week, America celebrated and honored the death of two American heroes who could not be more disparate, yet, more alike:  Aretha Franklin and Senator John McCain.   Aretha Franklin was a soul singer who grew up in modest circumstances with personal and family difficulties, but used her music to make political and personal statements about this country. She was a well honored and recognized talent in the field of music. Senator McCain grew up in a family of Navy tradition, and went on to serve in the Navy during the Viet Nam War. He was a prisoner of war, and returned home to serve his country as a Representative in the US Congress, then as a Senator. He ran for President, and lost.  I will not further recap the lives of these two people.  There are others with more knowledge of their lives, and more talent who can tell you their stories. But they were American Heroes of the Nth degree, their service and love of country binding them together.

But, think about it, with such divergent backgrounds, how are these two people American heroes?  They both spoke the truths about the United States, and their bodies of work were representative about the country as they knew it.  And, I would guess, that the United States, as each one knew it, was in many ways dissimilar. So, again, I ask you, why are these two people American Heroes, and what is about this country that allows us to honor such disparate people as American Heroes?

I think it is because the life work of each of these persons embodies the idea and ideal that America is Great.   I think it goes back to the origins of this country.  It is not that America is Great. I am not sure that America was ever great.  It is that the idea and the ideal of America is Great. The Constitution of the United States enumerates who are free people, and who are counted as 3/5th persons, which sets up that we interpret that certain individuals, such as Negro slaves, are less than whole people in this country.  So we are burdened with an origin of this country that is not great. 

We have a history of struggling with this premise, as in the War Between the North and the South, during Reconstruction, during both World War I and World War II, the suffragette movement, the Jim Crow era, the Civil Rights Movement and even today, that America is Great.  But is America Great?

I would propose to you that America is Great when we have a great leader, who embodies the moral, ethical, and leadership values that we want to represent our country. When the idea and ideals of American are embodied in our government.   So George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, and John Kennedy might rank highly Ranking US Presidents.   Richard Nixon, Warren Harding, Andrew Johnson, Ulysses S. Grant, not so much.  I will not comment on Donald Trump, because of my personal prejudice, but also my awareness that sometimes, with history, evaluations change.  Please note, that I do state that the personal lives of each President, who might be considered great, may or may not have been great. But his leadership qualities made him great. 

But how does divisiveness, duplicity, disparagement, denigration, dismantlement of past policies, and disgraceful personal deportment embody greatness?  If you or I were in school, a "D" would be a failing grade. 

I want America to be Great.  Again?  I don't know, was it ever great?  We have had periods in history when American performed at a great level. Such as during World War II with The Greatest Generation?  But was America great then?  No, discrimination was rampant.

So what do we do to make America Great?  I do not think this rests with any one person or any one policy.  I think it requires each and every one of us to step up to behave in a moral and ethical manner.  In a manner that says "America is Great" not dependent upon politics, or policy,  but that is dependent upon morals, ethics, the rule of law, and humanity. Not dependent upon our leader, who says America can be great because of its business practises, but dependent upon ourselves, who say America can be great because of our moral, ethical and leadership qualities.