Happy Thanksgiving!

To you and yours, I wish you all a very blessed and happy Thanksgiving! May you rejoice in time with family and friends, and enjoy each other's company, and find time to smile a little too. Be safe and God Bless!

On This Veterans Day

Whenever I do a post like this, for a day like this, I struggle mightily, in part because I feel that token expressions of retail gratitude are far too insufficient a response when it comes to the recognition of the valiant service and sacrifice of those who serve and have served this nation.

Each year, I read over famous quotes, look through past speeches, drink in stories of the men and women who give so much for a cause that fewer and fewer seem to fully appreciate. I torment myself, in fact, over choices made and not made, always coming to the conclusion that I am where I am supposed to be, but nevertheless hobbled by the truth that I did not choose to serve.

I was tempted to give up today, and not write anything at all. And yet, I find myself unable to accept that attitude, even for a simple blog post.

John F. Kennedy once said, "As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them."

From Mark Twain: "In the beginning of a change, the patriot is a scarce man, and brave, and hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot."

And from the passionate Patrick Henry: "The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave."

It is within these words above today that I find my voice.

There is a scene at the end of Saving Private Ryan that came to mind as I reflected on these quotes. Watch and listen:


The clip ends abruptly, but what follows is worth the reading (from IMDB.com):

Old James Ryan: [addressing Capt. Miller's grave] My family is with me today. They wanted to come with me. To be honest with you, I wasn't sure how I'd feel coming back here. Every day I think about what you said to me that day on the bridge. I tried to live my life the best that I could. I hope that was enough. I hope that, at least in your eyes, I've earned what all of you have done for me.

I am a civilian. There are marvels and horrors my eyes may never see, bonds I may never know or fully understand, joys and anguish that may never mark my soul. For this I am grateful, but for this I am not entitled. I have done nothing to deserve this, but for accident of birthright. It weighs upon me, and challenges me.

I have been saved by grace alone, and that from my Father in Heaven. As for the life I lead here, I can only pray that I have and will continue to live that life in a manner worthy of the sacrifices of the many friends, family, and strangers whose service has made it possible.

Yes, I am a civilian. But I know that I, too, have a duty, not to just utter words, but to live by them. Not to stand only when it is easy, but to stand when it is especially hard. A duty to be vigilant, active and brave, whether I wear the uniform or not. How can I do less, when so many are willing to do more?

To you, our veterans, I thank you. For your service, and for reminding me of my duty.

God bless you.

Beyond the Linguistics: Presupposition

Every now and then, I'll stumble across a fragment of an idea, a thought that if allowed to germinate fully would result in an epiphany of sorts, and not necessarily a welcome one at that. Often, I'll just jot it down and run away from the implications. Unwelcome does not in turn mean unhealthy, however, and so with that I'll offer up today's stray thought for dissection.

We all view the world through the lens of our own presuppositions. It does not mean we are wrong, but we should humbly acknowledge that we do, and that we may not necessarily be right.

You might be tempted to oversimplify this thought into: We all have our own worldview that shapes our perceptions of people and events. While certainly true, I believe the truth goes far deeper than we realize.

First, let's examine my choice of words. Per the oft-cited yet generally un-citable source called Wikipedia, a presupposition is "an implicit assumption about the world or background belief relating to an utterance whose truth is taken for granted in discourse." Why this word, and not "assumption" or "presumption"? Because these are merely derivations of the verb "to assume", meaning to take something for granted, a hypothesis, or to take liberties, if you will. I use "presupposition" (assume beforehand) because it serves to illuminate the unspoken context behind the things we say or the interpretation we apply to information we receive. Allow me to bypass the technical and philosophical discussion of the linguistics, in favor of a more base discussion that gets me closer to my point.

If I held the belief that everyone in Hollywood was a liberal and pushed liberal orthodoxy in their onscreen products, then it is a easy step to interpret everything I watch according to that presupposition, whether or not it is true. If I believe that by definition the Republican Party is extremist, then every utterance or position the Republicans take will be viewed through that prism.

Many of us consider ourselves to be objective, or at least committed to the attempt. But it is unlikely that we will ever truly be so, because the prejudices that color our perception can never be fully exorcised from the conscious or subconscious mind. When confronted with people or ideas that run counter to our own view, we instinctively react defensively or dismissively, never bothering to consider a worldview so counter to our own, all the while continuing our charade of objectivity.

It can happen even in the most benign of circumstances. Once your perception of a person is set, it is hard to see that same person any other way, no matter the evidence, potential or capability others might see. Then again, that same dynamic can allow you to see someone else in a far different light, even if their skills are identical to the former. Your presupposition can block your view from one angle as easily as it can enhance it in another.

My point, if there is one, is that we are far better off to acknowledge the presuppositions that shape our views of people and events. This doesn't mean we have to change them, but we would do well not to underestimate their influence on our thinking. Maybe then we'll see just a little bit more clearly.