Lines in the Sand
The last few days I've been thinking.
As I look back on the last two-plus years, I have been blessed with opportunities to teach computer classes in a number of locations to a variety of people. I have had students from large retail organizations, hospitals, schools, universities, mid-size organizations, banks, non-profits. Each student brings a background and an understanding that stretches me as I try to see things from where they're coming from. Discussions are generally gracious and mutually beneficial, and I have enjoyed each one of them.
There is another group of students I've enjoyed over the years: military personnel and contractors. Having had the privilege to teach servicemen and servicewomen, both in the United States and in forward positions (Kuwait), I've learned a lot about the military and why it operates as it does.
One particular instance comes to mind. On a trip to Kuwait, I arrived at the front gate of the camp waiting to be escorted for inprocessing. The "gate" was a trailer building that filled a spot in the fence line. Upon entering the trailer through the front door, the standard metal detector complete with security personnel waited to greet me. Since I was not allowed past that point without a military escort, I waited until my contact arrived. During the smalltalk I was told that the door through which I entered was "the line" and that my escort could not walk out that door without orders. To do so would be considered "leaving post" and he would be formally reprimanded with all the attendant consequences.
Now there are a lot of things that are done in the military that don't make sense from a civilian perspective. After all, what harm is there in leaving one boot print in the sand just outside a door? But the military doesn't have the luxury of discussing every last little detail. You see, when you are in the military you have to always be aware of the "lines". Who and what is on your side of the "line" and who and what is on the other side? In order to be always ready, each member of the military has to understand those lines and be prepared to act immediately as situations change from second to second.
We civilians, on the other hand, have made a big deal of diversity and tolerance. We can each think differently and choose to argue and disagree on a good number of subjects. There is nothing wrong with divergent viewpoints. I think that in these discussions we sharpen one another and can arrive at a clearer view of how things are. But if it weren't for the military keeping those "lines in the sand", such a privilege wouldn't be ours to enjoy.
The necessity of both uniformity, as we see in the military, and diversity, as we see around us, is a reflection of what we're truly after: Unity. Unity respects each member's individual contribution towards a common goal.
Unity is a symphony, with a diversity of instruments playing in uniform time.
Unity is a salad, with a diversity of elements in a single bowl.
Our nation's founding fathers, who themselves were known to argue passionately from different perspectives, always put unity at the forefront. "United we stand; divided we fall." This has been the cry for years.
Where are we today? Are we so caught up in individualistic celebrations of "diversity" and "tolerance" that we've lost sight of the greater good of "unity"? I would never argue that as a nation we need to be uniform. But let's come back to working together for the Common Good, and serve this great country: "One Nation Under God" is a lot better than "300 million semi-autonomous fiefdoms."
As I look back on the last two-plus years, I have been blessed with opportunities to teach computer classes in a number of locations to a variety of people. I have had students from large retail organizations, hospitals, schools, universities, mid-size organizations, banks, non-profits. Each student brings a background and an understanding that stretches me as I try to see things from where they're coming from. Discussions are generally gracious and mutually beneficial, and I have enjoyed each one of them.
There is another group of students I've enjoyed over the years: military personnel and contractors. Having had the privilege to teach servicemen and servicewomen, both in the United States and in forward positions (Kuwait), I've learned a lot about the military and why it operates as it does.
One particular instance comes to mind. On a trip to Kuwait, I arrived at the front gate of the camp waiting to be escorted for inprocessing. The "gate" was a trailer building that filled a spot in the fence line. Upon entering the trailer through the front door, the standard metal detector complete with security personnel waited to greet me. Since I was not allowed past that point without a military escort, I waited until my contact arrived. During the smalltalk I was told that the door through which I entered was "the line" and that my escort could not walk out that door without orders. To do so would be considered "leaving post" and he would be formally reprimanded with all the attendant consequences.
Now there are a lot of things that are done in the military that don't make sense from a civilian perspective. After all, what harm is there in leaving one boot print in the sand just outside a door? But the military doesn't have the luxury of discussing every last little detail. You see, when you are in the military you have to always be aware of the "lines". Who and what is on your side of the "line" and who and what is on the other side? In order to be always ready, each member of the military has to understand those lines and be prepared to act immediately as situations change from second to second.
We civilians, on the other hand, have made a big deal of diversity and tolerance. We can each think differently and choose to argue and disagree on a good number of subjects. There is nothing wrong with divergent viewpoints. I think that in these discussions we sharpen one another and can arrive at a clearer view of how things are. But if it weren't for the military keeping those "lines in the sand", such a privilege wouldn't be ours to enjoy.
The necessity of both uniformity, as we see in the military, and diversity, as we see around us, is a reflection of what we're truly after: Unity. Unity respects each member's individual contribution towards a common goal.
Unity is a symphony, with a diversity of instruments playing in uniform time.
Unity is a salad, with a diversity of elements in a single bowl.
Our nation's founding fathers, who themselves were known to argue passionately from different perspectives, always put unity at the forefront. "United we stand; divided we fall." This has been the cry for years.
Where are we today? Are we so caught up in individualistic celebrations of "diversity" and "tolerance" that we've lost sight of the greater good of "unity"? I would never argue that as a nation we need to be uniform. But let's come back to working together for the Common Good, and serve this great country: "One Nation Under God" is a lot better than "300 million semi-autonomous fiefdoms."
