An Ungrateful Man

I've returned from a trip to watch my son complete his final review at Texas A&M, where he has finished his second year as a cadet in the Corps. After watching the young men and women in uniforms march in review before officers, school officials and extremely proud parents and family; I am humbled at how blessed our nation is to have young men and women in today's college environment that choose to serve their country in uniform rather than pursue riches in industry. The young men and women in the Corps of Cadets are a minority at their university, roughly 2200 out of a population of 45000 or less than 5% choose to wear a uniform while attending class. Of that number around 150 each year will choose to commission in a service branch. After reading an article this morning about the most recent former vice-president, it struck me how there is a significant difference between many of the cadets and the former vice-president of our great country that for some reason many of them idolize.

As I listen to the former vice-president speak and defend some of the policies the previous administration condoned, I find I am becoming more convinced that he is no more than an ungrateful and hard hearted man. This man is blessed in many ways above what the average American has been blessed with. He is richer than 98% of our American population. He is a former CEO of one of our country's great corporations. He rose to the second highest office our nation has to offer. So, the question becomes where is the gratitude that should be overflowing in this man's life? I suspect that you will not be able to find it because there is none to be found. I suspect he believes he is entitled to evrything he has been blessed with. I suspect his heart is as hardened as the bunker he hid in during the uncertainty in the days following 9/11.

While thinking back on the final review, I was struck at how the former vice president is known as a hawk. Yet, during his time when he was the age of many of the cadet's I watched yesterday, he is one that we would not have seen marching in formation during his day. When our country called on him during Vietnam, he chose to exercise his deferments rather than pick up a weapon and go halfway around the world for our country. He was more content to let others do the fighting, because his education was more important than his country's call. By putting himself above country he was able to raise a family while it was others his age who paid the ultimate price. By putting himself above country, he was able to make money while standing on the sacrifice of many of his generation who did not come back from Vietnam. While putting himself above country, he was able to accomplish much, because he chose deferments rather than service.

Why else does he condone using torture on enemy combatants? We are an enlightened people and we should not revert to such actions no matter how much we may hate those who carried out the 9/11 massacre. America is above that, yet the former vice-president has helped to destroy our reputation in much of the world. His decision to speak out today, reminds me of why we are blessed to have them out of office.

Here is hoping that the current administration can repair our reputation in the world, while standing firm against those who will harm us. And here is hoping that all of the cadets I saw marching yesterday, who will go onto wear a uniform of our military after graduating will epitomize the vast gulf between them and the former vice-president, because they chose service over deferments. Because they chose service over material riches. Because they chose service over self, and I suspect that they will become grateful men and women in the years ahead because service is at the heart of why God created us.