42. My Blood Is In This Flag
Literally.
As I see the Stars and Stripes cascading majestically from the highest railings here in Baghdad this week, I am reminded that my own blood marks the seam, four stories above.
During one of my visits to the Baghdad Coalition Headquarters a few months back, I noticed a group of soldiers struggling to hold up the palace’s massive, forty-foot-long U.S. flag as they prepared it for hanging.
I jumped in to keep my little piece of our treasured national symbol from touching the floor. We needed to cut old zip-ties out of the grommets, so I opened my knife and set to work on the heavy plastic fasteners.
Distracted by the complex exercise of cutting while lifting, I nicked one of my fingers. It was an insignificant boo-boo, and I didn’t think much of it at the time. With some embarrassment, I later noticed that a spot of my blood had soaked into the edge of that flag, staining the white, red.
It wasn’t until hours afterward, as I stood staring in awe at this towering display, that the greater impact of the imagery of blood in the flag struck home.
Blood Marks Old Glory
Rewind a few years, and you’ll see me as a younger, pre-retirement Navy SEAL training at one of our desert locations. My platoon was completing a particularly unimpressive series of “Immediate Action Drills” (in a nutshell: shooting and running and dropping down and shooting again).
The cadre bellowed at us to get more aggressive with every iteration, and I took that seriously – to the point of inadvertently smashing my rifle scope against the corner of my mouth on one particularly enthusiastic “drop” to continue firing.
When our lackluster performance ended, the hardcore old frogman in charge of our training said he had never seen such a disgusting spectacle in all his years as a commando. (We take solace in the knowledge that combat critique is often exaggerated to drive a point home.) After he finally got done telling us what a bunch of [blank]-ing [blankety-blank-blanks] we were, he took a long, ragged breath and we thought he was spent.
He wasn’t. Glaring menacingly around our sheepish group, he suddenly locked eyes with me and said, “You. You’re bleeding…I like that.”
And we were redeemed.
I’ll let the reader unfold some of the profound layers of meaning at this concept of redemption through blood.
Despite such boo-boos, all of the accumulated dents and scrapes I acquired during my career don’t add up to one serious injury as suffered by hundreds of thousands over hundreds of years of American life; I can still count the same number of fingers and limbs as when I got born about four decades back.
What is most desperately important to remember on Veterans Day is that our precious flag is soaked in the blood of every wounded and slain warrior who ever served America and freedom. If not for the blood of heroes, this flag would be nothing more than the tattered and molding scraps of a great experiment which had failed to rise and inspire the world.
Our grand story has been and continues to be paid for, as they say, in blood and treasure. While those who have the treasure have often found it unnecessary to also contribute blood, we have awesome exceptions. Our legendary veterans, George Washington and his comrades, are among this noble crowd. These men would have suffered the horror of a traitor’s execution if captured. Many did. They willingly risked all for this cause so much greater than themselves.
Raising the Flag
Did you know this? Washington said, “The fate of unborn millions will now depend on God, on the courage and conduct of this army.” Unborn millions! How could any ordinary man have the vision in the first, perilous birth pangs of a nation, to foresee how much would become of this fragile dream if only they risked and paid their all???
Let us remember our fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters who truly paid the costs of freedom and an example for the world. Let us especially hold ourselves accountable to those future generations within and without our borders who may one day look back and say – of us – “But for their sacrifices, we would not know liberty.”
Copyright © 2008 by Jack Oatmon. All rights reserved.
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41. Did You Understand the Barack Obama Piece?
Barack Obama
It’s very important to the grasp of Powerful Peace that I clear this up. I don’t take any pleasure in one side humiliating the other; quite the opposite. I know being centrist still means being in the minority in the US, but it’s my belief that if I “lean right” or “lean left” according to political inclinations, I’ll put myself in some danger of falling down. In fact, I stand straight up in the middle, and measure each issue on its merit, not basing my opinions on what some affiliation tells me I should think and decide.
Please let me know if you share this vision. Sometimes this position of listening to all sides, and respecting all persons for the inherent value of their point of view, seems pretty lonely.
Article #39 is an observation on the profound nature of the world’s opinion of us, and our opinion of ourselves, as it relates to the election of this unique individual. Please do review it in this context: Barack Obama: 9/12 and 11/5.
Copyright © 2008 by Jack Oatmon. All rights reserved.
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39. Barack Obama – September 12th and November 5th
Days of National Transformation
Wherever you fell on the political spectrum when the final results were in, I would like to point out some details that have not yet been discussed. I would like to address the profound significance of this day, November 5th, 2008.
I’m writing this piece from my station in Iraq. On September 11th, 2001, I was working as a SEAL in another Middle Eastern country with some of my teammates. Thanks to the wonders of modern technology, we US SEALs and our class of local national SEALs endured the rare privilege of watching the events of 9/11 unfold live while half a world away.
It was evening, there. One of our number called out to the barracks that a plane had hit a Tower. We Americans and Arabs gathered in the TV lounge and sat silently for three hours as the unimaginable transpired.
The next morning, after a fitful night’s sleep, we cancelled all training and began readying ourselves for the inevitable war to come. I told a friend, “The world will never be the same.”
What I meant by this is that, as with the designations of B.C. and A.D. (or Before Current Era and Current Era, in some calendar systems), history would now be eternally fractured into pre-9/11 and post-9/11. These terms have in fact become part of today’s vernacular. That date can reasonably be likened to a national loss of innocence.
Now consider these facts that burst forth on November 5th, 2008:
The Black segment of the United States has been uplifted in a concrete way which theories and declarations of equality could never fully communicate. This will open the eyes of every citizen that American diversity is real. It is finally true that each child can grow up to become the President of the United States of America.
Barack Obama is not Black
Simultaneously, the nation must realize that Barack Obama is not Black…not Black, that is, unless we are equally willing to label him “White”. After all, what is it that makes him Black? If it’s being born of a Black parent, then is he somehow less White in also being the son of a White parent?
(By the way, this isn’t political bandwagonning. I won’t tell you which way I voted. I’m describing our circumstances objectively.)
President-elect Obama is Black and White. Conveniently, so is America…and we are so much more.
America is also Native American, (which group, by the way, we honor in the month of November), we’re Hispanic, we’re Asian, we’re Polynesian, we’re Mediterranean, and still more. In other words, Barack Obama’s victory is not merely a win for Blacks. As he is the physical embodiment of the racial extremes of America, so his selection is a vote in favor of the entire spectrum of race in America. His victory is a win for Blacks and for Whites. It’s a win for every race between these extremes.
The nation, and the world, must also realize that he is not American…not American, that is, unless we are equally willing to name him a global citizen. If an American mother and a Kenyan father produce a child, does either side have the stronger claim to its native son?
In no way is this an insinuation that Barack Obama is not “American enough” to lead our nation. Rather, it’s an assertion that he is inherently and invaluably aware of the world beyond our borders. Our world is shrinking by the day. Great Walls and Iron Curtains are pitiful artifacts of a sadly frightened past in which nations looked at one another like suspicious townsfolk in a cowboy movie: “You ain’t from around here, is you, stranger?”
While on the subject of “(fill-in-the-blank) enough”, I want to point out that Jesse Jackson once apparently expressed that Barack Obama wasn’t “Black enough” to run and win as the Black candidate for President. Today I was moved to see Jesse Jackson weeping with joy over the election.
I say again: the world will never be the same.
A Change in America means a Change in the World
The United States is the single, most powerful people group on the planet. We have demonstrated the greatest willingness to extend ourselves out into the world to influence change – according to our best judgment. In helpful and not-so-helpful ways, we have proven over and again that we, as one entity, can move the globe.
That globe has in recent decades become less enamored of our ability and decisions to act or not act. Our face is mirrored in worldwide polls; the numbers do not paint a pretty picture.
We are perceived as a self-absorbed superpower. The image is that while our intentions may in fact be good, our values are not always demonstrated by our actions. We can swear to never tolerate genocide, then show that the slaughtering of families in Darfur doesn’t quite meet the threshold for meaningful intervention.
While the tapestry of our nation has been a multi-colored fabric since the first day, our executive has never been. This cannot go unnoticed by global neighbors. The proud label of Melting Pot must have appeared insincere as long as only the white wax floated to the top.
Raise your head high, America. If you voted for Barack Obama or against him, you participated in the selection of this living symbol of the whole greatness that is America. You were a vital part of the struggle that proves to a skeptical world that we love our country; we embrace the democratic process in choosing our leader, together; ultimately, we demonstrated that we treasure this grand, glorious, motley rabble of individuals…more than our individual selves. We truly value the diversity that is America – and the world.
I usually don’t say much to describe myself, beyond my status as a retired SEAL and global security professional. In case you’re interested, I’m White. Or rather, I should say, I’m a White American. Or rather, I should say…I’m a proud American. I’m proud that my country has so powerfully seized its own American-ness.
IF YOU APPRECIATE THESE COMMENTS, PLEASE PASS THIS ARTICLE ALONG TO LOVED ONES
…IF YOU HAPPEN TO KNOW THE OBAMAS, PLEASE DROP THEM A COPY, TOO.
Copyright © 2008 by Jack Oatmon. All rights reserved.
25. You’re Wondering Why You Exist
Powerful Peace is creeping up on 2,000 hits in just two months. Regular membership of daily readers is increasing, much to the delight of its staff; this simultaneously puts a boot in the seat of my pants to provide more regular concepts for this more regular readership! To those in this category, I thank you. Thank you for contributing to what I consider to be our site, while I refine my ability to make it worth your while.
[On that note, as an aside, I would encourage everyone to Comment frequently and reinforce the sense of "dialogue", rather than "lecture", which I believe is so important to our improved understanding of solutions in human conflict.]
[One more brief aside: I have a special treat coming tomorrow - our first serial Guest Author Columnist, or "GAC", will be posting his first installment tomorrow evening. Please sit on the edges of your seats until then; he's good!]
…Now back to our regular scheduled programming:
One thing you don’t see, looking in through the window of P2, is what shows up on our statistics trackers provided by WordPress here on the inside of the idea factory. It’s very, very interesting to watch these indicators. The number of viewers per day is illustrated, as well as per week, per month, and so on. It doesn’t stop there, though. For example, I see how many times a particular post is clicked, and the same for our internal links (like Dick Hoffman’s original article in the San Diego Union-Tribune.
What appeals to me far more than these numbers, however, as an artist of the human experience rather than an accountant of the same, is the listing of “search terms” used to find Powerful Peace from outside our site. Would you like to know what pings I see there, as written in your own words?
One common search term is “peace“. It’s heartwarming to watch this steady current of Internet users searching for answers on this sublime, and elusive, subject.
Another is “solutions to terrorism“. I get a major charge out of that one. Inherent in the question is the evidence of another segment of society who, like we in the P2 family, understand that there are options. There is hope. I never see anything along the lines of “hopelessness of terrorism’s ultimate victory”. We just know that there is hope. Terrorism itself is not simply a large, impersonal fact that we have to accept.
Naturally, terrorism exists, and naturally, we must act in response – notice that I said “response”, not “reaction”. We act, proactively, to find solutions that reactive animals are incapable of perceiving. The fact of terrorism is not in the same class as, say, the fact of weather. We don’t control the weather; we can influence the societal topsoil from which individual terrorists (the real problem) are springing. We can examine that topsoil and discover what specific factors nourished each one’s growth to eventually inspire such a corruption of human instinct.
As I always acknowledge, we still have to shoot or nab the hardest cases among today’s terrorist population…but we can affect future crops at the source, and watch those children grow into doctors, teachers, and leaders of healthy families. [For a fantastic film illustration of a child's susceptibility to negative or positive influence, please watch little Dia's transformation into a bloodthirsty murderer in Blood Diamond.]
Another interesting search term I was surprised to see periodically is “the only easy day was yesterday“. For those outside the SEAL community, I would tell you that it’s a very specific reference to the very specific rigors of SEAL training at BUD/S (Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL).
I can imagine a small army of young, energetic men online, seeking to one day serve the world as honorable and heroic defenders. I picture the awesome potential in youthful optimism - and I am humbled to know that these young warriors can take my generation’s efforts to unimagined heights. Young brothers, keep the faith and follow that dream. Pick up that spear…and learn also when NOT to use it.
Above all, however, is the search term after which this post is titled. For some reason, and this will draw my attention for some time, the most common phrase that links to P2 is “why I exist“. That is absolutely fascinating.
That the question is asked so much by interested individuals on the Internet is very interesting. That it sends these same querents to our site – now that’s something special. Of course, we have a post by the same title…but I like to think there might be some deeper reason that people seeking meaning in life are drawn to the website for Powerful Peace.
The optimist prevails.
Copyright © 2008 by Jack Oatmon. All rights reserved.
8. It’s the Children, Stupid
Lately I’ve used the word “apolitical” to describe myself in this preoccupation with Powerful Peace. This shouldn’t be misconstrued to mean that I don’t believe in politics, or that I’m anarchist. It means, simply, that politics (and many other idols of our time) are lower, and weaker, than P2.
Nothing burns my cookies like watching the United States Senate, communally 100 of the most powerful people in the world, bicker childishly and toss votes back and forth across the aisle like some deranged tennis match; “49-51.” “51-49.” “Love.” (How much are we paying you? How much trust are we investing in you to lead??)
Far worse than childishly clannish, of course, is whorish. This is that aspect of a leader’s “selling out”, of betraying one’s constituents and one’s own conscience, for some personal gain. I suspect the most common motivator for personal gain here is simply job security; dancing with insincerity for the privilege of retaining privilege; elect me so I can think up why you should elect me next time. This is all the more pathetic when one considers the great potential for contribution many of these talented folks would have out in the real world.
(I’m not saying, “senators are whorish”. I’m saying some senators are whorish. It’s certainly not up to me to identify who serves and who is served among our statesmen. If you’re a senator and you’re reading this, you know who you are. Now you should stop surfing the ‘Net and get back to work. Please.)
(For all the other readers who aren’t senators: I really don’t think your boss will mind if you surf on the job a little, just to look at Powerful Peace.)
You may say that I don’t understand the intricacies of successful governance, that there is more to settling national debates than simply voting one’s conscience, because I haven’t been a Senator. That’s true, I haven’t. Yet.
The following declaration has the potential to burn many, many cookies, but I’m convinced of its truth: Religion itself is lower, and weaker, than Powerful Peace. I’m not talking about God, Who is above all. I’m talking about the infinite spiritual splittings of doctrine and practice among mankind. I am a believer myself, but in my faith tradition we are taught that all men are brothers, and that I should love my neighbor as myself.
Our scripture does not say that loving one’s neighbor may be selectively applied based on my particular feelings about another person and my mood at the time. (If you have a version of the text that says such, please email me or post a Comment so we can all look it up.)
I know a great many Christians who commonly act much less Christlike than the Mahatma Gandhi, who revered the teachings of Jesus but never called himself a Christian.
—————————————————————————
Now that I’ve deliberately violated every social courtesy by exploding both religion and politics into this conversation, I hope to have captured your attention. Also, having defined what Powerful Peace is not (neither politics nor religion), it should be easier to determine what it is.
It’s the children, stupid.
In Post #2, “That No Child Should Suffer” (07/07/08), I wrote that “It isn’t right for any three-year-old to know the terror of exploding rockets, mortars, bombs, or IEDs.” (Again, if you disagree with this statement and have some evidence to back it up, please contact me right away.)
We are an amazing race. We humans can really get our bloomers in a bunch on petty disagreements…so on the greater matters of war and terror it is absolutely essential that we trace back to something we can agree on in order to move forward:
Kids deserve better. If nothing else, kids deserve better.
Maybe after a time, when we’ve stood back and thought about this for a while, we’ll grow up to a point where we are even able to think that not only precious, helpless children deserve better. Maybe…brace yourself…other adults (dare I say foreigners?) deserve better!
Mr. Caveman (NOT P2! ... but not far off, either)
Maybe everyone deserves better – better than small, brutish squabbling as we imagine the cavemen doing because primitive survival depended on reacting like animals. (If you’re reading this, Mr. Caveman from the TV commercials, I mean no disrespect. It’s just a convenient example. I’ll give you guest photo placement by way of apology.)
…Maybe even I deserve better – better than the miserable world I give myself when I place my own desires above others’ needs. Has the reader ever thought about that?
I can choose to be kind to a stranger. For example, I can provide a simple, cost-free smile that brightens an otherwise drizzly day. That cheered man, upon noticing I’ve dropped a train ticket, might be inclined to run and catch up to hand it to me.
I can choose to be small to a stranger (and often do). I can rush past him rudely and give him stinkeye when he attempts to recover his place in line. How do you suppose this same man in these different circumstances might respond to my dropping an expensive ticket? Do you think he might smile while he kicks it under the train?
Did I not create those environmental conditions that I then experienced over those ten seconds?
This is Powerful Peace. It’s wildly simple. It’s frustratingly difficult. It’s compleksimplicity, and I’ll have a lot more to say about compleksimplicity when the spirit takes me.
[See post #21, "Compleksimplicity I"]
Copyright © 2008 by Jack Oatmon. All rights reserved.
3. The Softer Side of the “war on terror”
[Warning: The following content may not be appropriate for small children.]
On the wall of our traditional Japanese dojo hangs a sign I will paraphrase:
If you can walk away from the fight, walk
If you cannot walk away from the fight, talk
If you cannot talk your way out of the fight, threaten
If you cannot threaten your way out of the fight, then fight only to end the fight
As a member of the aforementioned school, a retired US commando, and a so-called authority in the discipline of fighting terrorism, I am compelled to speak out on behalf of a better way to wage the “War on Terror.”
“Soft” power, the term coined by Joseph Nye in 1990, is the concept of exercising international influence by attraction – using national culture, values and institutions.
Liberal use of the “hard” (violent) option may seem efficient and productive. Without considering the human cost, however, this tool is inhumane and irresponsible. Hard power casually applied will harden those on both sides.
The US and other nations have declared that there are basic human rights. These include (look it up – there are more): life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Presumably, this also includes not being blown up. There must be some burden of caution for destruction-capable powers.
Consider the now common term “collateral damage.” What does it really mean?
According to the American Heritage Dictionary, collateral damage means, “Unintended damage, injuries, or deaths caused by an action, especially unintended civilian casualties caused by a military operation.”
Actually, though, that’s not a complete enough definition. Let me offer an expanded picture, taken straight from recent newspaper bylines:
“…For example: collateral damage is that circumstance in which go to the market in the morning while your family eats breakfast…you return home…you find that your wife and four children, ages 6, 4, 3, and 1, have been blown apart by an explosive weapon.”
The definition continues, “…collateral damage means that the home (and family) around the shattered corpses of your babies is similarly shattered. Two of your other children are ‘badly wounded’ and hospitalized.”
Finally, “…collateral damage also means that the two warring parties who caused this will be too afraid of showing ‘weakness’ under the world spotlight to express remorse and deep consolation.”
A person who believes war should be used only as a method of last resort is called a “Dove”. I think Hawk sounds much cooler, but call me what you will. I have no aversion to the selective use of violence.
Let’s take a look at some famous warriors and get their takes on this matter…General MacArthur?
“The soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war.”
Hmm…. Apparently Douglas MacArthur and his praying soldiers were Doves…General Schwarzkopf?
“War is a profane thing.”
Hmm, again…President Washington?
“My first wish is to see this plague of mankind, war, banished from the earth.”
Final hmm.
It seems that many of those we have admired most for their courage and “manliness” were, in fact…sissies. Or Doves, to use the vernacular.
Or maybe…
…maybe we don’t have to arrogantly label individuals as Hawks or Doves just because, sitting at home in front of the tube, we feel awesome courage and willingness to pull a trigger – or rather, have someone else pull a trigger – to achieve a quick end to an irksome problem.
Maybe the war movies have put a little too much starch in some civilian britches.
War hurts.
War hurts men and women when bullets tear deep into unresisting flesh and bone. It hurts little old ladies and little old men. It hurts children profoundly to experience the unimaginable shrieks of rockets, shrapnel…and torn men and women.
Hurting all these people (or rather, permitting all these people to be hurt) by casually indulging in war reaps a corresponding harvest of ill will and cyclic violence that always returns to the source.
Please don’t hijack my words to claim support for any cause I haven’t specifically endorsed.
To be specific, I will declare that this posting is not an indictment of any administration, nor of any military service, government agency, political party or commercial venture.
If it is any indictment at all, it would be against all of us together; against anyone who has any say (and each adult does) in our way ahead as a society.
This essay is intended to communicate ideas that I believe are worth sharing.
Please do share them!
In the end, why sweat and bleed in the dojo? Why get so very, very good at putting bullets where they will do the most harm?
I would defer once more and offer the final word to the great leader whose failure would have cost not only his own life and holdings, but the very existence of this country which now has so much to offer to the world…President Washington:
“To be prepared for War is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace.”
Copyright © 2008 by Jack Oatmon. All rights reserved.
1. Terrorism and Conflict…and Solutions
“War on terror”, poverty, epidemics, recession, candidates….
Fighting for fighting’s sake…. Healing.
Stephen Covey
There are important issues to be addressed. Many are already flying around the blogosphere/web/water cooler with increasing urgency. Stephen Covey would counsel us to seek first to understand the other before pressing our own point. That is uncommon wisdom. The marketplace rewards drama. Ratings drive programming; us-vs-them theater brings in revenue.
Us-vs-them is also a lot more fun, if we are to be totally honest. What possible gain do we as a society enjoy by staring at Jerry Springer’s latest “Transgender Nazi Steelworkers Face the WWII Veterans’ Association” episode? Yet millions of eyes glaze over to reruns of such spectacles, while uninsured children suffer without care and global security concerns remain hazy to the average citizen.
Don’t we prefer to naysay, rather than consider? (If you spontaneously said “No”, I would ask you to think about your answer in context of the question.) When a hot issue arises, energy rises likewise in the adversaries…not for a breakthrough solution to the crisis, but to more firmly resist the other. We should harness that energy.
Think about bipolarized “news” programs such as Hannity and Colmes. (No offense, gentlemen, I do watch your show.) These are often little more than verbal tag-team wrestling, in which one host supports a right-leaning or left-leaning guest and the other attacks. Each makes excellent points from its perspective, but the middle ground is as unfriendly as a DMZ. When is the last time such a program ended with consensus? We’d love to see one relieved handshake and, “You know, you’ve really opened my eyes on this issue!” It can’t happen. If consensus rises, ratings fall; sales are close behind.
This forum won’t point out how unbelievably stupid the “other” is (to the left from the right and vice-versa, to the male from the female and vice-versa, to the European from the American and vice-versa, etc.) Rather, it seeks the common ground we too casually ignore. Solutions are to be found in mature dialogue, with all parties capable of listening and conceding within their respective and respectful comfort levels.
Our energy should pool into solution finding, not dissipate into soundbites of pop culture. Instead of hand-wringing between sitcoms over issues of terrorism and its roots, instead of waiting for our weary military to solve the problem by shooting every last one of “them”, instead of evading unpleasant facts (how about the concept of accountability on all sides in every conflict?)…why don’t we wade in and begin to unravel the snarl of hurts and hatreds? The world would call Americans cowboys. Well, let’s cowboy up.
The stakes are high.
Please don’t discount this blog as a bleeding-heart soapbox. I’ve paid my dues over a (more or less) honorable US military career including years as a commando and experience within the intelligence, diplomacy, security, and cultural-linguistic realms. I’ve held both extreme liberal and extreme conservative views during seasons of my life. I’ve lived among foreign nationals in over thirty nations. More importantly, I’ve listened to the best and worst of what they had to say about their view of the world and of “us”. Most importantly, because I listened, I’ve been heard as well.
We have entered the third millennium, all six billion of us together. Remember what they say: “Third time’s a charm!” This might be seen as an unprecedented time in history to develop evolved, human-based conflict resolution.
You never know. We might start an intercontinental grassroots movement that values and incorporates all sorts of dissimilar members into a functional, citizens’ United Nations…global peacemaking from the people up.
Copyright © 2008 by Jack Oatmon. All rights reserved.
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