We’ve all heard all kinds of stuff about the bin Laden killing this week. About the Navy Seals, the intelligence gathering, the President, and on and on. It got me wondering whether I would have had the right stuff for something like this. I have trouble with war, I have trouble with killing. And while I can’t be excited at the death of even someone as obviously evil as bin Laden, I definitely feel that this was the right thing to do, and I’m glad it happened. But could I have done it?
Take the Navy Seals. They’re just one of the Special Forces in the military. I’m not sure of all of them, but I know the Green Berets are their army counterpart. And whether it’s the Seals or the Green Berets, I know only certain guys can make it in. We’ve all heard about the mission, and what they had to do. Could I have done that? Just pretending I was young enough, smart enough, in shape enough, and tough enough to make it in, could I have done that mission? Could I have boarded that helicopter, rapelled down, gone through the compound? Not knowing whether I was going to step on a mine or ignite a bomb with my next step? Not knowing whether there was a sniper waiting to take me out? Not knowing what was around each corner? And then, when I faced the target, could I have done what they did? Could I have pulled the trigger on an old man standing there with his wife and child? I don’t know.
While not nearly as spectacular, what the President did might have been, in it’s own way, just as difficult. Yes, I know as President, he has to be able to give the order to kill. That alone would be difficult enough. But in this situation, a lot was on the line. Many of his advisers counseled against this plan: they recommended bombing, or drone strikes, or possibly other ideas. But he chose this one. The risk was enormous, both for the country and for him personally. There were so many things that could have gone wrong. If that mission had failed miserably, which was likely, we would have been branded as terrorists ourselves, who invaded a sovereign ally, and on and on. And Obama would have been smeared across every news outlet in the country as hopelessly unfit for the position of Commander-In-Chief. When Jimmy Carter attempted a similar mission 30 years ago, that’s exactly what happened. It failed horribly, and Carter never recovered.
You know, none of us ever know what we’re made of until we get in that situation. Will we react, or will we retreat? Will we have the courage, or will we back away? Will we have the strength to stand, or will our weakness consume us? Until we’re there, we just don’t know. In many ways, I’m glad that I will probably never be in that position. Yet in some strange way, I want to be. I would like to know if I have, inside me, the courage, the strength, the determination, and the desire, to do what the Seals or the President did.
The fact that I may never know, is both comforting, and troubling.
Take the Navy Seals. They’re just one of the Special Forces in the military. I’m not sure of all of them, but I know the Green Berets are their army counterpart. And whether it’s the Seals or the Green Berets, I know only certain guys can make it in. We’ve all heard about the mission, and what they had to do. Could I have done that? Just pretending I was young enough, smart enough, in shape enough, and tough enough to make it in, could I have done that mission? Could I have boarded that helicopter, rapelled down, gone through the compound? Not knowing whether I was going to step on a mine or ignite a bomb with my next step? Not knowing whether there was a sniper waiting to take me out? Not knowing what was around each corner? And then, when I faced the target, could I have done what they did? Could I have pulled the trigger on an old man standing there with his wife and child? I don’t know.
While not nearly as spectacular, what the President did might have been, in it’s own way, just as difficult. Yes, I know as President, he has to be able to give the order to kill. That alone would be difficult enough. But in this situation, a lot was on the line. Many of his advisers counseled against this plan: they recommended bombing, or drone strikes, or possibly other ideas. But he chose this one. The risk was enormous, both for the country and for him personally. There were so many things that could have gone wrong. If that mission had failed miserably, which was likely, we would have been branded as terrorists ourselves, who invaded a sovereign ally, and on and on. And Obama would have been smeared across every news outlet in the country as hopelessly unfit for the position of Commander-In-Chief. When Jimmy Carter attempted a similar mission 30 years ago, that’s exactly what happened. It failed horribly, and Carter never recovered.
You know, none of us ever know what we’re made of until we get in that situation. Will we react, or will we retreat? Will we have the courage, or will we back away? Will we have the strength to stand, or will our weakness consume us? Until we’re there, we just don’t know. In many ways, I’m glad that I will probably never be in that position. Yet in some strange way, I want to be. I would like to know if I have, inside me, the courage, the strength, the determination, and the desire, to do what the Seals or the President did.
The fact that I may never know, is both comforting, and troubling.
I thank God that I hopefully will never be put in that situation. I thank God that there are men and women that are willing to jump out of airplanes and risk everything so that I can stay home and enjoy my life. Without those brave men and women, our country would not be what we are now!
ReplyDeleteA heartfelt Thank You to all that have served, all that are serving, and those to come. You are far braver than I. God Bless each and every one of you!