On Your Honor

This is an excerpt from one of the books I recently read; "Rascal; Making a Difference By Becoming an Original Character" by Chris Brady (posted with permission from Mr. Brady). This is a book I highly recommend, especially if you have ever had that deep down feeling that you were born to do more than just take up your share of the space, breath your share of the air, and eat (more than in my case) your share of the food... The book is available on Kindle.

I'm going to let the excerpt stand on it's own so that I don't take anything away from Mr. Brady and his point(s). You can follow Chris Brady on Twitter (@RascalTweets) or find him on Facebook at the Rascal Nation

"On Your Honor

It may seem counter-intuitive that we would describe a Rascal as being honorable. The more one understands the nature of a true Rascal, as defined in these pages, the more it should be obvious that our kind of Rascal is honorable above all things.

Honor is such a lost article in today’s society that it almost sounds old fashioned. One definition of honor comes from Walter Lippman; “He has honor if he holds himself to an ideal of conduct though it is inconvenient, unprofitable, or dangerous to do so.” But this doesn’t go far enough, as it only posits “an ideal of conduct.” Holding to one’s values or ideals is certainly considered by some to be honorable, but what of those values? Didn’t the Communists in Bolshevik Russia hold to their own values as they murdered millions of innocent people who refused to “enjoy the benefits” of socialism? No, holding to one’s values even if costly is not the total picture. Thomas Jefferson’s definition is much better: “Nobody can acquire honor by doing what is wrong.” That says it. There is a right and a wrong, and honor is the result of adhering to what is right. Now, to add Lippman’s part: no matter what. That is honor.

The United States Congressional Medal of Honor has only been awarded 843 times since the end of World War II. With behavior exemplary of the award, the example of Major General James E. Livingston is superb. It is perhaps a better rendition of honor than any definition. In a fierce battle in the village of Dai Do in Viet Nam, Livingston and his Marine unit fought to rescue another trapped Marine company that had been cut off from the others. Wounded twice by grenades, Livingston refused medical aid and continued fighting to successfully relieve the stranded company. Then a fresh marine battalion attacked the neighboring village of Dinh To and was heavily repulsed. Livingston garnered the remainder of his fighting force and volunteered to go to their aid as well. Wounded a third time and unable to walk or even get up, Livingston continued firing his weapon while pinned to the ground. In effect, Livingston and his men rescued not one but two fighting units from sure destruction that day. His comment upon the affair and his subsequent award speak to the spirit of honor adhered to by all Rascals:

“When you are involved in an operation like this, you are doing everything for your buddies and for their welfare—you don’t want to let your buddies down. I was responsible for the mission. I had to live with the results. A fellow Marine’s life could depend upon my actions, and I would have to live the rest of my life with my decisions.”

Taking responsibility and adhering to that responsibility even when things get tough, not wanting to let down those who depend upon you, and realizing you will have to live with the results of your decisions, are all demonstrative of what honor is all about.

Today, many people live by the rules of expediency instead. This means that, regardless of principles, if something works out to their benefit they do it; if not, they don’t. It’s like a newspaper that prints a juicy yet inaccurate article, then retracts it in a future publication. Truth is not that important because both the libel and its repeal were successful in selling papers. Unfortunately, this is too true of how the world works today. Pragmatism dominates. We have witnessed so many corporate, political, and Hollywood scandals that we are in danger of becoming jaded. Cynicism sets in as we feel like everyone is a crook, cheater, liar, and phony. Some people seem to think if everybody else appears to be “getting away with it” that maybe they can too. Gray areas become wide, pragmatism rules the day, and little white lies become the norm.

This downward spiral is even more reason to celebrate true Rascals like Major General Livingston. Most of us will never be asked or required to shoulder a rifle in the face of an enemy bent upon our destruction. But we will all be faced with foes, unfair situations, and troubling circumstances. Rascals live honorably through it all."

Brady, Chris; Orrin Woodward (2010-09-01). Rascal: Making a Difference By Becoming an Original Character (Kindle Locations 392-423). Obstacles Press, Inc.. Kindle Edition.