1/02/2006

Just something to chew on

Good Deeds Aren't Always Punished, But They're Not Always Recognized, Either
By Francis W. Porretto Francis W. Porretto

The president of the United States gets no holidays. Frequent Old Media references to his "vacations" are rather misleading; no matter where he is, he has to remain available to his lieutenants, and conscious of national and world affairs. In effect, he wears an electronic leash, by which he can be hauled back to the Oval Office, figuratively or literally, at an instant's notice.

Which is why it's so important for Americans to be aware of reports such as this one:

SAN ANTONIO, Texas (AP) -- President Bush began the new year on Sunday at the bedsides of wounded servicemen and women, and awarded nine Purple Hearts to U.S. troops who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"The president, as commander in chief, feels it's one his most important duties to visit with those who are serving in the armed forces and providing great sacrifice for this important mission," White House spokesman Trent Duffy said.

The president boarded the Marine One presidential helicopter before dawn on his ranch in Crawford, Texas, and flew more than an hour to Randolph Air Force Base. His motorcade drove to Brooke Army Medical Center, a 224-bed hospital at nearby Fort Sam Houston, to meet with about 50 injured members of various branches of the armed forces and their families.

"He thanks them for their service. He asks how they're doing. He is always interested in seeing if they are getting the kinds of care they need," Duffy said, adding that not all the troops' injuries were sustained in combat.

Your Curmudgeon is a promoter of individualism in politics, but he sees immense value in charitable communalism in the private sphere. When a public official behaves in a fashion that implies that stance, it's worthy of note and wide dissemination. When a man as heavily burdened and as widely assailed as President Bush takes time away from his ranch, his pastimes, his family, and his not-all-that-remote official duties to do simple but memorable kindnesses such as are reported above, he deserves our praise.

The author asked that this one be passed around if you are so inclined!

4 comments:

Sam said...

Thanks, Everett. Brooke Med Center in San Antonio gets some bad ones, and is a national center for burn victims. Note that the pictures didn't show any of the wounded. But I bet you a dollar to a dime that President Bush had to tighten up his belt a notch when he saw a few of the fellas. And the screams! The only way to clean a burn is to strip off a layer of dead skin each day so it won't infect anything, called "therapy." I've had one bad burn to the face and believe me, it felt like a wire brush was used.

That takes guts, man, just to be within 30 feet of that mess.

Sam said...

Hey Everett, I know the Island didn't freeze over solid because I saw the weather report! You guys going to hide until after Ground Hog Day?

LOL,
Sam

Everett said...

Been racking my wracked brain to come up with something worthwhile! I guess I'll have to resort to some more of those Navy tales! Don't know hwere BIB has gone!

Anonymous said...

You can always talk about Seawinds