Honor and Horrows

Honor is something often lost in the defense thereof.

Who looked more honorable at the end of the Aaron Burr / Alexander Hamilton duel? Well, Hamilton, of course, because he seemed to have shot to miss.

He did miss and historians suspect it was his intention - but of course, he died shortly thereafter and nothing in his noble gesture spared him from looking silly and childish to those of us looking back.

Whoever came up with the stupidity of the "field of honor" anyway? Democrats? Republicans?

I have started getting a rush of "TOS (Terms of Service)" reports on a forum I manage.  Things like:

"He insulted me .. wah, wah, wah."

"She hurt my feelings - boo hoo hoo."

"He called me a ---------- after I called him a -------."

Where are the unprovoked apologies? Where are the gracious chuckles?

No one really needs to defend their honor by going on the attack. Honor takes care of itself. Integrity rises to the top of the heap and makes itself known. Time normally does the job and when it doesn't, a gracious answer turns away wrath according to the book of Proverbs.

I am venting.

I must admit that I have always had higher contempt for the behavior of folks who will neither forgive nor overlook an offense than for about anything else because they are the ones perpetrating feuds and looking sillier than everyone else.

But there are some things that are really getting my goat - and none of them are about me:

I am incensed about the treatment of our service people coming home disabled after placing themselves in harm's way on our behalf. Not only do they deserve better treatment. They deserve the best we can afford and they are not getting it. I am glad that third parties are coming to their defense. That is credible.

Not that they shouldn't complain - this is a corporate offense, systemic and repugnant.

So, right up there with chronic whiners are those who can't show adequate gratitude to our heroes.

While we are here at home being petty, we have thousands of such heroes over there being noble and loyal. Whether the war is right or wrong is not the issue. What is the issue is that they are doing their duty and are entitled to respect and care.