Simple Semantics

My daughter recently asked me what the difference is between a good man and a bad man. I thought on this for a moment and told her this;

“A good man sins and struggles against it, a bad man sins and doesn’t care, and an evil man doesn’t thinks he sins.”

U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel’s op-ed article published in the Omaha World-Herald explaining his thoughts regarding future military and national service requirements and possibilities.

I recently e-mailed my U.S. Senator, Chuck Hagel, asking for more information concerning his views about reinstating the draft based on future troop needs.

Before you read any further, let me first offer some background information about myself. I am a veteran. I volunteered and served six years in the U.S. Navy. My father is also a veteran. He was drafted and served two years in the U.S. Army.

I am very proud of both my and my father’s service to our country.

I saw Senator Hagel speak a few years back at the Nebraska Governor’s Ball and he struck me as a man of integrity. Because he is also a Vietnam combat veteran, his views on this matter carry a high-level of credibility. I often find that those that rattle the saber most, are those that have never carried one into battle.

The fact that Senator Hagel chooses to acknowledge the elephant standing in the middle of the room while others would rather simply ignore the issue speaks to his character.

He understands that to ask a parent to send their son or daughter into harms way is a solemn task and should be handled with honesty and respect. To do otherwise is reprehensible.

Whether or not you agree with the current administrations premise for going to war in Iraq has no impact on the fact that we will need to face this issue sooner or later.

I have five children, including a 13 and 14 year old. I believe strongly in my country and will do what is necessary to keep her safe.

The current administration, however, has displayed poor leadership with respect to war in Iraq. Their decisions have been based on false assumptions, bad intelligence and a willingness to discount the advice of key strategists like Gen. Eric K. Shinseki.

I pray this hasn’t sent us on a fool’s errand reminiscent of Vietnam. Because if it has, how much more difficult will it be to answer the call when it comes?

This summer I went on a short term mission trip to La Paz, Bolivia. The following article is about one of the visits to minister to the street children. For more information, go to BolivianStreetChildren.org.

“Daddy, can you turn on the night light?” my six year old ask as I finish tucking him in. “Of course I can.” I say, smiling as I walk over to the dresser at the end of his bed to turn on the light. A soft warm glow fills the room as if to say, “Don’t worry, no monsters here.”

As I close the door, I pause for a minute to watch him and reflect on how blessed I am. I have a wonderful life filled with people who love me. Standing there, my thoughts start to drift back to another place, another night, another child.

Only on this night the place is dark, the child is cold and hungry, and the monsters in the night are real. The place is La Paz, Bolivia, and the monsters are poverty and hopelessness.

It’s been three weeks since our team put on our winter coats, hats and gloves before heading out to the streets. “Dress warm.” our mission leader, Dr. Chi says, “It’s going to be cold again tonight.” At over 12,000 feet in altitude, most nights in La Paz are cold, but it’s also the winter season.

As we ride in the taxis that are taking us to the plaza were the homeless children gather I’m lost in thought. “Am I up to this? What was I thinking volunteering for a short term mission?” I say a prayer.

At first I’m surprised at how many children are on the plaza at this time of night. It’s after 10:00 PM. As we move toward the group of children, they give us a hard look. “Why are you here? What do you want?” their eyes say. But then they see the small Asian man in the orange coat. “Chi! Chi! Chi!” the call goes up.

Dr. Chi has been coming to see the children for the past seven years and the children cherish his visits. The hard looks are replaced with looks of curiosity, “You’re with Chi? What’s your name? Where are you from? Do you want to play soccer?

The Children range in age from 7 to 18. The questions come from every direction and I find myself smiling at how every answer draws two more questions. Then it hits me, these children are starved for attention and compassion. Their hard stares were not out of malice, they were out of fear. Fear of the past and circumstances that brought them to the streets. Fear of a future with no hope, and fear of the day to day survival that is their present.

A small boy by the name of Richard draws me into a game of “How do you say in English…” which then turns into a game of “How do you say in Spanish…” There is laughter from the children as I stumble over the pronunciations. When they smile, you can see just how young they really are. “They’re too little to be out here.” I think to myself.

Dr. Chi tells us we need to start moving down toward the sewers. The police patrol the plaza and if a street child lingers to long, he or she is in danger of being beaten. The message is clear, “Stay in the dark where you belong.”

We climb the fence that leads down to the sewers. I ask why they live down here. The answer is simple “Because no one else wants to.” As we move further down the stench of urine becomes overwhelming. I start breathing through my mouth.

Toward the bottom I see a young girl sitting on the ground with a blanket wrapped around her. It’s not until we get closer that I hear the baby cry. He was born only 6 weeks ago and she is looking for Chi. Not for the baby, but for herself. She’s been stabbed. I feel sick.

After Dr. Chi attends to the girl and her baby, we head under the street to where the children live. Its pitch black and we turn on our flash lights. The ledge drops down over 15 feet and you need to grab hold of some exposed electrical cable to start the climb down. The children have notched out a foot hold half way down but you still find yourself left with a 4 foot drop to the uneven ground below.

As the children start down I find myself holding my breath while each one makes the decent. We shine the flashlight on the ground to light their way and I wonder how they do this in the dark.

At the bottom we see the shelters were the children live. They are constructed of discarded bricks, milk crates and what ever the children can find. I almost knock over one of the walls when I make the mistake of resting my hand against it.

The shelter is no higher than 3 feet tall with a thin piece of plastic serving as a roof. The floors are covered with blankets that are caked with the sewage the children track in on their shoes. When we look inside we see 7 children huddled together. There’s warmth and safety in numbers.

Dr. Chi tells us some terrible stories about what has happened to some of the children he has met here. Beatings and stabbing are a daily event down here and rule is simply this: “Try to survive this day.” We help some of the children who are injured back to their shelters.

Dr Chi tells us it’s time for us to start heading back and one of the children ask if I’m coming back, “I hope so.” I say. “I will say a prayer to God that you have a safe journey home.” he answers back. His sincerity overwhelms me and I can only smile back at him. If I try to talk the tears will come. There will be time for that later.

As we leave, the children watch silently as the darkness that is their world slowly slithers back in. I understand now that it wasn’t the warm glow of our flashlights that they longed for. It was the light of God ’s love manifested in the team that went to visit the children that night.

Standing back in my child’s doorway, I think of how that night has changed me and I say a prayer “Father in heaven, please let your love continue to light the night for the street children of La Paz.” And then from deep within my soul I here His answer, “Of course my child.”

Originally Published in the Omaha World-Herald
By Chuck Hagel

The writer, a republican, is Nebraska’s senior U.S. senator and a Vietnam combat veteran.

In a speech to the nation on Sept, 7, 2003, President Bush said: “(W)e’ve been tested… and the dangers have not passed. Yet Americans are responding with courage and confidence. We accept the duties of our generation… we will do what is necessary, we will spend what is necessary, to achieve this essential victory in the war on terror, to promote freedom and to make our nation more secure.”

The president is right. The war against terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction is the first great challenge of the 21st century. It is a generational challenge. Our success in this war will be measured not in days or months but in years.

Every American should be proud of how we have responded to the challenge of terrorism following Sept. 11, 2001. The men and women of our armed forces have fought with bravery and professionalism in Afghanistan and Iraq. At home, we have mobilized our police, firefighters and emergency personnel to fight the war on terror.

While we have succeeded in meeting the threat since Sept. 11, our ultimate success in the war on terror will be measured by our success in meeting the challenge over many years. We cannot know what the world will look like in two decades, but we know that the challenges we face will not recede.

Our global obligations and commitments are the greatest since World War II, even though we have a smaller Army than we did during the Cold War. Currently, we have 135,000 troops in Iraq, 14,000 in Afghanistan, 37,000 in Korea and 250,000 stationed in other countries around the globe. American intelligence and diplomatic capabilities will be further tasked with more responsibilities and difficult assignments. It is irresponsible to believe that the burden we carry around the globe will become lighter in the future.

Nearly 40 percent of our current force structure in Iraq is comprised of National Guard and Reserve components. These troops are performing with extraordinary courage and sacrifice. The reality is that retentions and recruitment in the Guard and Reserve will become more and more problematic because of active-duty pressures and extensions. Active-duty troops will face many of the same pressures when they sit down with their families to discuss re-enlistment. As a nation, we need to be prepared to face serious recruitment and retention challenges at the same time we are faced with more and more force commitments around the world.

The responsible action for policy-makers charged with decision-making for America’s future is to explore serious options for meeting our national security obligations. It is irresponsible to wait until we may be facing a manpower crisis in our armed forces and foreign policy. This issue is about matching the mission with the resources. We will not succeed if we do not ask the tough questions about how we meet these challenges.

The thought of bringing back some form of mandatory national service is understandably troubling. If the All Volunteer Force, which I strongly support, finds itself unable to meet the current and future manpower demands required to maintain American security, the nation must be prepared to act to correct that dangerous possibility.

The 21st-century challenges of terrorism and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction touch every American. No American is spared from these challenges, regardless of station in life. Yet middle- and lower-middle-class Americans primarily are carrying the burden and making the sacrifices.

The world has changed dramatically since the last time Americans were subjected to a draft. Our needs extend beyond the infantryman carrying a rifle. The current struggle has made clear the value of our first responders, our intelligence community and our diplomatic corps. Our ultimate victory over terrorism will not come at the end of a gun barrel.

For generations, Americans have done what it takes to meet the challenges of their time. The next generation of Americans will face challenges that are more diverse, complicated and dangerous than any we knew before. All Americans must be part of meeting these challenges. I believe that young Americans want to make contributions to their county. It is their future, and they know it.

My daughter and son are 13 and 11. Like all young Americans, they will have a responsibility to their generation and to the generations that follow them. This responsibility to something greater than one’s self-interest has enhanced our nation for more than 200 years. It will sustain us for generations to come. America should not be intimidated by this debate. We should have confidence in our people and our society.