When I heard the “empty barrel” news conference today, I was troubled, but hours later I still had trouble getting my head around the problem. I knew that something was really wrong, and was groping my way to clarity at the time The Last Word aired tonight. Lawrence O’Donnell had all the missing pieces..and then some.
First off:
General Kelly, I know three Gold Star families, including the mother and sister of my second cousin, who fell in Vietnam. I went through every grade of school with my second cousin, and we both wore the same uniform – US Army, enlisted not drafted – during the years when he and the other two boys from my little home town died in Vietnam. I also know that some of the friends I made in my Army service ended their lives in Vietnam. So, when someone stands up to limit the questions to those who know a Gold Star family, I know that I am qualified.
When I heard the news conference today, you – General Kelly – had my attention. I respect and honor your service and that of your sons, and I agree that too few Americans have earned the right to speak on such matters.
I know that, in the military, we learn how to take orders. We learn to take those orders from whoever is “superior”, even those who have demonstrated sufficient bad judgment for us to question their orders.
As a Marine Officer – product of the most authoritarian culture in America – you, General Kelly, have had to find a way to resolve the deaths of men you ordered into battles that killed them, and the death of a son you could not order to be saved. If one is introspective at all – some are, some are not – resolving those deaths requires a hundred miles of tightrope walking. I respect your efforts in that regard, but I could not detect in your remarks anything beyond boilerplate acceptance and rationalization. Nonetheless, to that point,you did your duty as best you could see it.
Then you stepped outside of your duty. You abnegated the pro-forma obsequiousness and deference that all military personnel – especially the Officer corps – must model with regard to Civilian Authority. When you speak as a military product, based on your service as an officer, you are back in uniform for the duration of those remarks because you choose to make a point of that uniform. Did you forget “Sir” and “Ma’am” when speaking with civilians, including a duly elected Congresswoman who represents thousands of Sirs and Ma’ams, or were you ordered to burn that village? Did you get the whole sitrep – all the facts on the ground – including the Congresswoman’s longstanding relationship with Sgt. La David Johnson and his family, or were you guilty of ignoring a fact that you’d have broken a subordinate for missing?
I hope the world has pardoned Colin Powell for his UN presentation – I have – but it may take some time for General Kelly to live this kamikaze performance down, considering the draft-dodger whose narcissism required the sacrifice.
If anyone did not see Lawrence O’Donnell’s courageous response to General Kelly’s well-meant, but nonetheless derelict, performance, see it online ASAP.
ADDENDUM — Friday morning: Rather than engage the numerous responses I found just now, I’ll add another thought or two, as a general recap and reply, in a separate post. For convenience — though certainly not for continuity — I’ll label it “Thank You Lawrence O’Donnell — Part 2”