Last Vows of Honor China Daily What would you do knowing you have only one day or less left in this world? Many of us may choose to make good use of life's precious last hours to relish what we have coveted but have not enjoyed, or to bid a sentimental farewell to those we love and to those who love us.
Reclaiming Honor for Forgotten Veterans Boston Globe Urns holding the cremated remains of war veterans are stacked in funeral homes, cemeteries, state hospitals, and even prisons around the state - a sad end for those who served their country.
Honor Flight Takes 100 to World War II Memorial Indianapolis Star It's important as a small way to say 'thank you' to this 'greatest generation' before it's too late," Rodgers said. "We as a nation waited 60 years after the war to create a national memorial honoring their sacrifice, too late for the vast majority of those who served and returned home. They never asked for this recognition, but they deserve it.
May 25, 2008
I've gone to my farm in Kentucky for the weekend. It's a great place to relax, do a little hard physical labor, and forget about the rest of the world. If you don't have such a place, I highly suggest you get one.
In the meantime, here's a little something that I found for you to read with your morning coffee.
See you on Monday.
J. Peterman
From the Chronicle of Higher Education
To paraphrase Shakespeare's Falstaff, "honor pricks us on." And although Sir John famously concludes "I'll none of it," the reality is that for most people, honor is more than a "mere scutcheon."
Many colleges have honor codes, sometimes elaborated into complex systems: The list includes small colleges (e.g., Gustavus Adolphus, Haverford), large universities (e.g., the University of Virginia, Texas A&M), Ivies like Dartmouth and Princeton, sectarian institutions like Brigham Young, science-tech (Caltech) as well as liberal-arts (Reed) colleges, and, with particular solemnity, the three military academies.
The code at West Point is especially terse and predictably directive: "A cadet will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do." The first "three commandments" - thou shalt not lie, cheat, or steal - speak for themselves. Of particular interest for our purposes, however, is that fourth admonition: "nor tolerate those who do." (Sure enough, Prince Hal shows himself true to this martial virtue when he eventually - and for many of us, hurtfully - turns away from Falstaff, showing that as king he disowns Fat Jack's dishonorable behavior.)
Doesn't it stand to reason that everyone would be intolerant of violators? After all, when someone lies, cheats, or steals, it hurts the rest of us while making a mockery of society itself (cue Immanuel Kant, and his categorical imperative).
The "fourth commandment" should, therefore, be altogether logical and hardly need specifying. The problem for theorists - if not for the "naturally intolerant" - is that blowing the whistle on liars, cheaters, or thieves is likely to impose a cost on the whistle-blower, while everyone else benefits from her act of conscience. Why not mind your own business and let someone else do the dirty work? Isn't that why we have police: to, as the word suggests, police the behavior of others, at least in part so we don't have to do so ourselves?
Honor Codes Across the Country cse.standford.edu The honor code is a major part of life at colleges and universities across the United States.
Honor in the Ancient World geocities Every culture has a sense of what it considers honorable. This sense is based on what values are important to a particular society, and thus no culture’s system of honor is exactly like any other.
The Honor Code Main and Central At West Point and Annapolis, where the Honor Code once meant something, they taught young Cadet Ian Fishback that living the Code was an important part of becoming an Army Officer.
Honor appears to be a simple matter. It speaks of a black and white world view in a world that is more various shades of gray. In the past, duels were fought over honor. In the context of the world where the duels were fought, it made sense. Alexander Hamilton, however, believed duels were outside the realm of reason, but he fought a duel with Aaron Burr that cost him his life.
The Romans had a saying "Strength and Honor". It served them well for centuries.
Honor seems to be a thing of the past these days. When I give my word, it's given on my honor. I say what I mean, mean what I say, and do what I say, and mean, on a handshake. Of course, today I have to have a stack of contracts with minute details to cover everything. Such documents impose honor on dis-honorable people.
I'm reminded of an exchange of dialog in the movie "The Wild Bunch" when Pyke Bishop says to his partner ".....but we gave our word!" to which his partner (played by Ernie Borgnine) says "That's not the point.....it's who you give your word to!"
In the context of the movie, Ernie was right. You don't have to keep your word with scoundrels. Would that illustrate the Fourth Commandment at West Point?
Today, we can enforce others' promises in the court system. The reason why you're in court is because they had no honor to begin with. If they brought dueling back, you'd find me on the commons most mornings with my seconds. At least there'd be no lawyers' fees involved (Ha!Ha!). Actually, I've never been involved with any litigation as a defendant or a plaintiff, so I speak from observation only.
To: La Donna,
I'll see you soon, my Lady, for morning coffee in the Twitter Room. Decaf, unsweetened, room for a little cream.
Good Morning All!
I have made Cranberry Cinnamon Scones, and poured the coffee (please see profile photo). May you all have a wonderful day!
To: DreadPirateRoberts, Thank you for your heartfelt congratulations, yesterday. It is appreciated! I hope you had a wonderful breakfast with your wife and daughter.
Spinner said...
A comment. but first,
To: LaDonna
Now that you and ExPat are twittering, and letting the world know, I do hope you are protected. After all, I suspect that he has been to some rather less-than-honorable sites in his world travels, so I hope you have good virus protection and a strong fire wall with no leaks.
Now, back to the topic at hand. I learned in college the lesson of how the balance between being "honorable" and not ratting on a fellow classmate and being a whistle blower can prove itself out. I took a class from one prof. that always graded on the curve. Several of us were aware that one fellow student most obviously was cheating and we realized that his cheating and therefore getting a better grade, would affect our grades. We talked about it and finally decided that it was in our best interest to go rat him out so a committee was formed. Needless to say, I was on that committee. We spoke to the prof. who informed us that he was well aware of the cheating and we should not worry. He did not take that student's score into account when figuring up our grades. We were then rather indignant that it seemed that nothing was going to happen to that student. But with a wry smile, the prof. said that this student wanted to go to medical school and he, the prof. would be writing the recommendations. Lesson learned.
Often the unsavory actions of others will indeed affect us and we need to keep ourselves aware and report to the authorities. I realize it is a much deeper problem in some neighborhoods where reprisals are a very real threat, but how will the areas be cleaned of the dealers, gangs, etc. without the help of the neighborhood witnesses? Louisville is in the midst of a campaign trying to get people to step forward now. It will definitely take a real cosmic shift in trust and acceptance to get it to work, but society must have these checks and balances to work effectively.
In the mean time, I will try to be as honorable and trustworthy as possible, trying to keep my little world true to the highest ideals I can obtain. If we all do that, a lot of lives would be a lot happier; in marriage, in the work place, in parent/child relations, in sports endeavors, in every day human interaction.
(stirring rendition of the national anthem swells up and then fades to lingering, plaintive notes as I leave the podium.)
I wish I could remember his name (I wish I knew where my cell phone was too,) but a philosopher that I studied many years ago said something to the tune of “everyman’s actions serves as an example to all of mankind” which I rather took to heart and as a result, I do try to be more choice full in my actions. It’s a hell of a responsibility when you think about. I think, however that the corollary to that is also valid when it comes to tolerating dishonorable actions; i.e.; one’s inaction also serves as an example to all of mankind. Do you take it upon yourself to confront the person ( I believe this is the preferred method as exercised by Tony Soprano and his crew, (with a certain amount of glee it would seem), but then you have to reconsider what is honorable in their eyes)? Do you “whistle blow”? or do you say” no harm, no foul? I guess it boils down to that magic escape clause that has allowed me to maintain my sanity in some dicey situations . . . it just depends.
Well this topic will be asserting itself into my typically lighter Sunday afternoon thoughts. If I have a moment of clarity on the subject, you’ll be the first to know.
Spinner, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house after you stepped down from the podium. Well said! Hiring the band was sheer genius! I’m giving you a standing ovation as I sit here.
La Donna, I put some Lilly of the Valley in place of my profile photo should you like to add them to your very beautiful photo, not that it is lacking in any way. BTW, congrats on the new home.
To: South-Side John,
The photo of the Lilly of the Valley is beautiful, I wish I could add some to my photo! Thank you also, for the congrats on the new home, that was very nice of you!
To:Spinner......I can still hear the music in the background!
To: Spinner,
La Donna is the perfect breakfast companion. Bright, intelligent, attractive. She makes cranberry cinnamon scones to die for. What a Lady! Can I say she's a great twitterer? Okay, I'll say it: she is a great twitterer.
But no more gossip......I do have a sense of honor to maintain!
Spinner said...
To: SSJ
Hope you had a pleasant family day yesterday.
I will be spending the rest of today taking pix of my husband for the back of his book. Trying to get that informal but intelligent look. Since he is an archaeologist, I suggested a fedora and whip. Maybe holding a crystal skull. He nixed that but is definitely considering a tweed jacket with suede patches on the elbows.
Spinner,
Sounds like a fun project, make sure you get full credit for the photo.
If he won't go with the whip and fedora, how about wearing a well broken in leather bombardier jacket, holding a machete in a menacing sort of way while climbing out of ancient temple that had recently been converted to a Las Vegas casino. You could always add the elbow patches.
"But now for something entirely different", please pass on my sincere congratulations to your husband for being published.
Be well
To: Spinner,
The Indiana Jones look or the safari look of Stewart Granger in King Solomon's Mines would be exciting. I'm not sure about the tweed jacket and suede patches....unless he smokes a pipe. The bombardier jacket is a must. Kind of a WW 2 "High Noon" look.
to: Spinner,
Sorry, I think it was "12 o'clock High". High Noon was the western...