In the Nov. 14th edition of The Citizen, David Epps wrote a truly commendable article about veterans.
He wrote about the four things that every veteran has been taught to live by, thanks to his or her training:
1. Honor – To be a person of honor is to have a high standard of integrity, and to conduct one’s self in a blameless manner.
2. Loyalty – The definition of loyalty from King Solomon in Proverbs 20:6 is to be trustworthy. That, quite simply, defines loyalty.
3. Commitment – To commit is to “go all in.” Warriors are committed. Committed to their country, to their cause, and to their comrades in arms.
4. Sacrifice – Christ taught that “No greater love has a man than this, that he lay down his life for a friend.” Veterans understand sacrifice.
These were just some of the fundamental truths that Davis Epps wrote about in his article that day. Veterans remember these teachings with pride, and most keep these pledges to the best of their ability for the rest of their lives.
I would like to add that veterans have also been trained to work together, solve problems and get the job done. Fifty years ago 90 percent of Congress was made up of veterans; today it’s less than 40 percent.
Today’s Congress is made up of mostly lawyers, with no military background, and we all know what lawyers are trained to do today: win at all costs, even if you know that your client is guilty. Lawyers are now told that it’s all about winning, no matter who gets hurt along the way.
It’s no wonder that we have a non-functioning Congress today, with neither side willing to work with the other. I feel that the best way to get Congress working again is not by voting more Republicans or Democrats into office, but by voting more veterans into office.
In my opinion it is definitely worth thinking about; after all, any new blood would get things done better than what we have in there now.
Jim Lowe
Peachtree City, Ga.
