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Let Us Not Trash Our Ideals In The Quest For Power

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 19, 2007

Updated: 09/17/2007 09:45 pm

One of my ongoing prayers is for clarity and comprehension. 'Clear my mind, Lord,' I ask. 'There is so much that I need to understand.' I ask for wisdom, too.

We all remember wise King Solomon, who solved a dispute over an infant. 'Bring me a sword,' Solomon said. 'Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other.' The woman willing to give up the baby was revealed as the true mother.

Such wisdom, however, is contingent on common values, core principles of right and wrong. We live in a world with no such moral certitude. It is a world increasingly close to home. We live in the Tampa area, enjoying the benefits of a free and secure society, but tens of thousands of us have friends and loved ones serving overseas. What happens in the Middle East really is local news. We live in a world community, like it or not, and it's not just economics that trickles down.

We really don't need another Solomon. What we need is a transformation of hearts and minds, a conversion from darkness into regenerated light. Yet our politicians still want to be Solomon, offering the world the kind of wisdom that appeals to their constituents. So much of their rhetoric anticipates a reasonable response - but from people who repeatedly demonstrate a willingness to strap explosives to their own children. They talk and act as if our adversaries are honor-bound to play from the same rule book we respect, but their arguments fall flat. That's not only naive, it's a form of suicide.

Then we have leaders who suggest the solution is to play by our opponents' rules. 'It's the only way to gain their respect,' they say, anxious to push some button and drop a big bomb. Such thinking not only reveals moral bankruptcy, it reduces discourse to an unacceptable common denominator.

Last week, I listened to the testimony of Gen. David Petraeus, a bright mind and a strong warrior, a man of unquestionable integrity and unflinching resolve. I can't help but be impressed with what our forces have achieved. I'm proud of our servicemen and servicewomen, and I admire the way they are handling a difficult mandate in an untenable situation.

Petraeus has been given a job to do; that's his role. Your politics, the Democratic Party's election-year agenda, my feelings regarding the occupation or anyone's opinion concerning what really led up to the invasion of Iraq need not affect our appreciation for the level of service and commitment exemplified by members of the U.S. armed forces.

It is disunity that gives aid and comfort to the enemy. People who yell 'You're a liar' during a general's testimony weaken our nation. What's anti-America is trashing candidates' character because you disagree with their politics. Name-calling designed to erode public confidence in government only serves to encourage the terrorists.

First, we cannot hope to impose our heritage of values on the world at large by force. If we want to effect substantive change in the world of ideas, then I recommend missionaries, Peace Corps workers and long-term spiritual renewal within our own borders.

Second, having understood that we do not live in a world that shares our ideals, now is certainly not the time to abandon them at home. The 2008 presidential election is more than a year in the future. Let's use this opportunity to demonstrate the benefits of freedom: civility, encouragement and mutual respect.

I like the advice Paul gave in his letter to his friends in Ephesus: 'Live as children of light - for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true.'

Columnist Derek Maul can be reached at derekmaul@gmail .com.

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