These are words that came from President Obama today while speaking about the differences between our military and civilians returning from countries experiencing outbreaks of Ebola:
"We don't want to do things that are not based on science or best practices... "
Let's take a look at the logic behind the President's statement.
Military members will be quarantined upon return from Ebola infected countries because they "are not treating patients." Meanwhile civilians who return from Ebola infected countries who are treating patients will not face any kind of federal quarantine.
Make any kind of sense to you? If there is no scientific reason to quarantine people returning from these nations, then why quarantine the military at all?
I guess because they're military. You know, they didn't volunteer. At least according to President Obama, they didn't volunteer. They were told to go and they will do as they were told.
I know on the one hand exactly what the President meant to say. He means that military members have no choice. They were sent without being asked for their permission. I get that. But he's wrong when he says they didn't volunteer.
Each and every soldier volunteered to serve before they ever knew they would be sent to Ebola duty.
They volunteered to defend all enemies foreign and domestic long before Ebola hit our shores.
They volunteered to do what ever President Obama, or any other president, asked them to do before they even knew what was going to be asked. Today's military members are the ultimate volunteers because they offer to serve our Nation without prejudice. They don't quit when a new President is elected and they don't happen to like their politics. They don't quit when the battle before them is one they don't agree with. I should know. As a military wife I've watched my husband face a few assignments we would rather have turned down. It just doesn't happen.
When the President framed the issue of quarantine as one necessary for military because they didn't volunteer, he did a poor job of honoring the tradition of volunteer service.
And then he rubbed salt in the wound.
He told us how these civilian volunteers should not be held in quarantine not just because the science supports otherwise but because they have taken time away from their families and loved ones.
As if our military members have not.
I know there are military families waiting at home for their soldiers to return from Africa. I know there are husbands and wives and mothers and fathers who are scared to death that their loved one may contract a deadly disease. I know there are children who are wondering why Daddy isn't there to tuck them in tonight and why Mommy couldn't help them with their homework.
What I don't know is why the President doesn't see this. Perhaps he's tired and speaking without taking the time to think about every word. But no matter. He's taught me one thing. He does not understand military life the way that I thought he did. He would not have to think about every word if he did understand.
The divide between the civilian and military communities just grew by leaps and bounds for me because the one civilian I trusted understood doesn't understand at all.
The entire twelve minute video is provided above. Before you tell me that the short clip was taken out of context, please watch the entire video.