Observations From the Ascension of a Casket
Yesterday, I watched the delivery of President Bush's casket to the Capital. It was a majestic event, with a degree of formality and precision of execution that I find almost breathtaking. In the event is a reverence for the office of President, not specifically the person, which reflects a grandeur and attitude of respect that seemed to also signal the vestiges of a fading ideal.
Both the office and person of the President have become so uncivil that one wonders where the society that holds its leaders with respect belongs in a contemporary America that does not respect its leaders because they seem to no longer respect the substance and the gravity of the offices that they hold.
With the death of Bush, an old era passes away. I cannot say it was a good era, and there are plenty of issues with which we can contend. But it certainly feels as if an era of civility and honor are fading away.
As I watched the precision of the military, I found that I was honored to be a part of a country whose service men and women can collectively demonstrate honor with precision and without many words at all. Standing at attention is itself a memorial. They represent us all in that they may or may not agree with their Commander-in-Chief, but they are a part of the country and have to live with honor and civility. They are the ideal, at least of the American ideal, of honor.
In that moment, I realized how tired I am of the politics of the day as well as the mindless yammering that seems to be going on in the place of news, entertainment, and conversations. I am no conservative pundit, nor am I in any way aligned with the Limbaugh mentality of the age. It gets us nowhere. Like watching post-game reviews or even listening to the asinine ramblings of sports commentators during a game, it seems more to be a ploy to fill up the silence rather than to allow the viewer to make up their own minds.
And while I am no fan of Trump, enough with the polarization from both sides. We have become so polarized that there is almost a hatred for those who wish to evaluate the issues, and who don't come down always on one side or the other. The middle is being pulled away by angry, rigid, intolerant, righteous and self-righteous partisanship.
But all that disappeared as the casket ascended the stairs to the Capital. Suddenly things slowed down enough to recognize that someone who served had died. Someone who held the highest office of the land was no more. And we, as a country, should still be grateful for Democracy and freedom. We should also be reminded that while ours is a young country in the grand scheme, it still can shine as a beacon of civility and honor. Should we so choose.
I also realized that while we were watching a President be buried, we were watching President George W. Bush bury his father. We can't forget the personal. The office is one of honor, but it is held by people, and in the moments, we have to remember that we are all subject to scrutiny, fair or unfair. And that we all have to be the best of who we are that we can.
All this in the ascension of the casket.
Both the office and person of the President have become so uncivil that one wonders where the society that holds its leaders with respect belongs in a contemporary America that does not respect its leaders because they seem to no longer respect the substance and the gravity of the offices that they hold.
With the death of Bush, an old era passes away. I cannot say it was a good era, and there are plenty of issues with which we can contend. But it certainly feels as if an era of civility and honor are fading away.
As I watched the precision of the military, I found that I was honored to be a part of a country whose service men and women can collectively demonstrate honor with precision and without many words at all. Standing at attention is itself a memorial. They represent us all in that they may or may not agree with their Commander-in-Chief, but they are a part of the country and have to live with honor and civility. They are the ideal, at least of the American ideal, of honor.
In that moment, I realized how tired I am of the politics of the day as well as the mindless yammering that seems to be going on in the place of news, entertainment, and conversations. I am no conservative pundit, nor am I in any way aligned with the Limbaugh mentality of the age. It gets us nowhere. Like watching post-game reviews or even listening to the asinine ramblings of sports commentators during a game, it seems more to be a ploy to fill up the silence rather than to allow the viewer to make up their own minds.
And while I am no fan of Trump, enough with the polarization from both sides. We have become so polarized that there is almost a hatred for those who wish to evaluate the issues, and who don't come down always on one side or the other. The middle is being pulled away by angry, rigid, intolerant, righteous and self-righteous partisanship.
But all that disappeared as the casket ascended the stairs to the Capital. Suddenly things slowed down enough to recognize that someone who served had died. Someone who held the highest office of the land was no more. And we, as a country, should still be grateful for Democracy and freedom. We should also be reminded that while ours is a young country in the grand scheme, it still can shine as a beacon of civility and honor. Should we so choose.
I also realized that while we were watching a President be buried, we were watching President George W. Bush bury his father. We can't forget the personal. The office is one of honor, but it is held by people, and in the moments, we have to remember that we are all subject to scrutiny, fair or unfair. And that we all have to be the best of who we are that we can.
All this in the ascension of the casket.
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