I sit in silence, meditating on the incandescent flame that fuels my purpose and intention. The confusing cacophony of punditry and spin fades away. Instead, I focus my undivided attention on the terrible price we’ve paid for our American legacy of freedom and liberty. As stewards, we are obligated to protect, defend, and preserve that legacy for future generations. That obligation ends when we are laid to rest.
Freedom and liberty are as intangible as love and faith. These are four of the six mystic chords, ineluctable emergent properties manifesting themselves through the relationships we have with one another. It’s what Bucky used to call, “synergetic.” The paradox of their power is this: The more widely distributed they are, the more powerful they become. That is something every president, save one, has understood. President Biden has been explicit on this point many times, most recently at the Democratic National Convention, when he concluded his remarks by playing the mystic chord of memory:
Folks, we just have to remember who we are. We are the United States of America, and there is nothing — nothing — beyond our capacity if we do it together, so let’s get it done.
The Arlington Attack, like the so called “Central Park Wilding,” of thirty-five years ago, is more than a vicious assault on an unfortunate woman. It’s also an assault on values we cherish and share as a community. When the flag is presented to a bereaved family, it is presented on behalf of “a grateful nation.” They’re talking about us. That’s you and me. That’s everyone who came before us and those who will be here long after we are forgotten. That’s everyone fortunate enough to be born on American soil and everyone courageous enough to make their way here so they could build a brighter future for their descendants. In that solemn moment time loses all meaning and only transcendent values matter. Our motto,“E Pluribus Unum,” comes to mind. That motto is older than the Constitution. You might even say it’s how we got the Constitution in the first place. It endures for a reason. Like a finger pointing to the Moon and the footprints we left behind, following our motto has always led America to glory.
Our enemies have good reason to fear that unified spirit. The power of our example terrifies them much more than any examples of our power. That’s why the primary focus of their memetic warfare is aimed at undermining our unified spirit. People have been trying to break that spirit as long as we’ve been the United States. сукаблять. We know what old wine in new bottles tastes like.
One of my uncles was a naval officer in WWII. That brawl cleared the bench. He, along with all his other brothers, served in the Pacific until the end of the war. The eldest, a naval pilot, was shot down over the Philippines and captured. He spent most of the war as a POW in Corregidor. The youngest lied about his age so he could join his older brothers in the fight. When it was over, they all made it home, got married, raised families and enjoyed long and fruitful lives.They stuck together until the end. My uncle was well into his 80s when he passed away. We buried him at Arlington National Cemetery.
Funerals at Arlington National Cemetery are well-choreographed affairs with reverent attention to every detail. Intake for family and friends begins at a greeting center where they usher you into private rooms so each family can gather prior to the graveside service. When I arrived, I was surprised to be greeted by several WWII-era veterans. By the turn of the century, it was unusual to see so many together. None of them knew my uncle. They were there as an honor guard, to bear witness for the WWII-era veterans who could not make it. They went to every WWII-era funeral at Arlington. While conversing with one of the men, I learned he had been a POW in the Pacific during the war.
He was telling me about his experience during that time and I felt uncomfortable, awkward. All I knew about POW was how to spell it. I couldn’t think of anything to say, so I said something like, “Wow. It sounds like that new TV show ‘Survivor,’ but for real.” He went ballistic. He got red in the face and started shaking. He grabbed his walker to stand up, but quickly got frustrated futzing with it, so he started slamming it into the carpet and yelling, “BULLSHIT! THAT’S BULLSHIT!” as he struggled to his feet. I was frozen in fear. I was certain he was going to have an aneurysm, a stroke or a heart attack and die right there and it was going to be my fault. The room suddenly felt very small and crowded. “That show is BULLSHIT! We survived because we looked out for each other! THE GUYS WHO ONLY LOOKED OUT FOR THEMSELVES DIDN’T MAKE IT!” he yelled at me. I just stood there, petrified. Fortunately, some of his comrades swooped in to calm him down. One of the other guys, also a former POW, later explained to me in a gentle way how absolutely messed up that show was. “Sticking together isn’t the best way, it’s the only way,” he said. Lesson learned. I’ve never watched any of the Survivor-style shows since.
On the other hand, I did watch every night of the convention and it was spectacular. The production values, podium speeches, visuals and promotional content ranged from merely excellent to Olympian. But that’s just the show. The shadows on the cave wall. The stories we like to tell ourselves. That’s all well and good, but where was the transcendent spirit that bends the arc of history in all of that? I think it was during the roll call I realized it was right there, spread out like a radiant tapestry quilt; as big as the world and twice as colorful.
What made things so remarkable this time wasn’t the technology or the performances. It was that intangible spirit permeating everything, everywhere, all at once. I’m not talking about a few isolated instances that touch your heart; it was ubiquitous. You might be able to fake sincerity from the podium, but not everywhere the camera turns. What made the convention different this time was everyone just seemed thrilled to finally be on the same team pulling in the same direction with purpose and intention. It was like a spell had been broken. Folks were chanting “U-S-A” with a level of delirious enthusiasm I’ve rarely heard since Lake Placid. I remember 2008. That was heady, but this was wall-to-wall and didn’t let up. It was the difference between looking at Niagara Falls and standing in it.
Suddenly, I’m back at Arlington where a woman standing in for us, the grateful nation, is assaulted for her service. Army staff at Arlington National Cemetery are not there to defend the graves from attacks. They’re there to support the families of the fallen. It takes a very special kind of person to be of service like that, day in and day out. Reflecting on that makes me all the more grateful for the support staff provides to families and survivors in times of distress. It also makes me very sad. How dare they?
Now I’m back at the incandescent flame. It’s clear the Arlington Attack demands an action-oriented response. There must be a price paid for this conduct. Lay hands on people serving this nation and don’t expect to pull that hand back intact. The obvious solution is for Mr. “You’re FIRED!” to identify and fire the culprits who put their hands on staff at Arlington National Cemetery. One phone call would solve the whole problem. The phone ain’t gonna dial itself, pal.
If he can’t make that call, the question becomes, “Is Donald Trump controlling his campaign or not?” If he can’t run his campaign, how is he going to run the country? His failure to act proves he is unfit for command. If he is unfit for command, there is no point to interviewing him. If there is no point in interviewing him, then there is no point in having the debate. Nothing he will or can say has any meaning or value. Simply put, enabling this sort of outlandish conduct automatically disqualifies him from serious consideration.
TILT. Game over.
I can already hear the pearl-clutching pundits prattling on about how this represents “A New Challenge for Harris!” Oh, spare me. Pour me a scotch. The corporate media is just going to have to find something else to generate ad revenue. If that bothers them, they can take it up with the guy who hires thugs. We’re busy GSD. Why on earth would they expect a seasoned prosecutor to allow herself to be coerced into becoming an accomplice after the fact simply because the network wants to pump up its ratings? This is not a game show. This is serious business. When mistakes are made people die and the living are left to pick up the pieces. The trauma from that will last the rest of their lives. If that sounds rough, that’s because it is.
Speaking of “not a game,” it is important to remember the whole world is watching how this is handled. Allowing the Arlington Attack to go unanswered without any penalty sends a false and misleading message to our adversaries. It suggests you CAN lay hands on Americans and keep your hands. Unfortunately, that invites attacks from folks who don’t comprehend the leviathan they’re dealing with. That is why it is important for our leaders to make it clear, by word and deed, to friend and foe alike, that attacking those who stand in service to us will NEVER go unanswered. To borrow a phrase from a former mayor of New York, we have zero tolerance for that. To credibly drive that final point home, the consequence must be equally clear and immediate. For these and other reasons too numerous to specify, I respectfully suggest consideration of something along these lines:
Unless and until Donald Trump identifies and fires the culprits responsible for the Arlington Attack, the Vice President should refuse to dignify him with her presence in any public forum out of respect for the men and women who serve this nation. How he responds is a choice he is free to make. However, if he wants to have the debate, then he must take charge of his team. If he can’t or won’t do that, then Donald Trump has disqualified himself from consideration for the position by proving he is unfit to serve as commander in chief. There is no point to a debate with a disqualified candidate.
Fortunately, we have other candidates available.