Ocean Leadership ~
Like many of you, I watched the events that unfolded at our Capitol and around our city last Wednesday in horror, frustration, and sadness to the point of tears. I feared for the safety of my friends and colleagues and everyone else who had gone to the Capitol complex that day, like every day, to do their job and honorably serve our nation. I feared for what this assault on our nation’s capital meant for democracy itself, which suddenly seems so much more fragile than it ever has in my lifetime. I feared for the visible abuse being done to both our Capitol — a building that not only represents our democracy but that is full of antiques and memorabilia representing our nation’s history — and our flag — a flag that I have believed represents the best of humanity and the principles of liberty, justice, and prosperity for an exemplary, democratic nation that, while never perfect, is always improving and growing in a positive direction.
That flag has been a consistent inspiration for me. During the more than half my life I served in the Navy, I have saluted that flag and helped drape it over the coffins of military veterans and heroes who willingly dedicated and even sacrificed their lives for our nation and for a brighter future for all. I continue to hope it will one day represent the same freedoms and equalities for all Americans, united in our virtuous pursuit of the blessings of our shared liberty.
The actions of violent insurrection we saw Wednesday are certainly not part of the future those heroes envisioned. That flag, and all it represents, is certainly much less bright and has flown a lot lower for me since last Wednesday. But as I look at our nation, I feel my fellow citizens who share the noble ideals that define the real United States of America far outnumber those who don’t. That gives me hope that our flag will again fly higher and brighter for all in the days, weeks, and years ahead as we learn and grow from this horror, as we have done time after time throughout the course of our history, as we seek to find that brighter future. Our nation, humanity, and the amazing world we inhabit may well be at stake if it does not.
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The post Jon White – From The President’s Office: A Sea Of Emotions (01-011-2021) appeared on Consortium for Ocean Leadership.