Posted by
CDB on Friday, October 27, 2006 7:22:34 PM
This is the time of political debate. Listening to pundits is one thing. I love the Fox News show, “The Beltway Boys”
and even the so-called Fox All-Stars panel on “Special Report with Brit Hume”
(also on Fox News, guess what channel I watch a lot). Unfortunately,
occasionally, I find myself in the company of some random amateur political
enthusiast who wants to “debate” over various political positions.
(I use the term “debate” extremely loosely. In this sense, “debate” from such people is best defined by
what the Janeane Garofalo puppet said in “Team America: World Police”, words to
the effect that, “It’s our duty to read the newspapers, and to repeat what we
have read on television as if it’s our own opinion.”)
There are certain realities that experience has taught me
exist in such conversations. Number one,
no one’s mind is going to change. Number
two, the longer it proceeds the greater the likelihood that someone is going to
get angry.
Before even engaging in such a conversation, try this experiment.
Ask a couple of questions:
1. What do you think of __________________________? [Fill this line in with the name of any celebrity you
want. Michael J. Fox, Madonna, Angelina
Jolie, Bono, the Dixie Chicks, Terrell Owens, Mel
Gibson, Danny Glover, etc.]
Allow the person to respond, then ask…
2. What do you think of Paul Ray Smith?
To which you will almost certainly be given the response, “Who
is Paul Ray Smith?” Don’t answer right
away. Let it linger. Maybe don’t even answer at all.
That response will remind you that the people in this
country spend more time concerned with leisure activities (and the comings and
goings of celebrities) than they do with the profoundly significant contributions
of other Americans. While the uninformed
are entitled to vote like everyone else, that doesn’t mean they are worthy of your time.
Said another way, the term “The Greatest Generation” does
not refer to the people who played professional football or starred in movies in the 1940’s.
By the way, Sergeant First Class Paul Ray Smith, U.S. Army, was
awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor on April 4, 2005. The
citation reads as follows:
“The President of the United
States of America, authorized by Act of
Congress, March 3, 1863, has
awarded in the name of Congress the Medal of Honor to Sergeant First Class Paul
R. Smith, United States Army
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his
life above and beyond the call of duty:
Sergeant First Class Paul R. Smith distinguished himself by
acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action
with an armed enemy near Baghdad International
Airport, Baghdad,
Iraq on 4 April 2003. On that day, Sergeant
First Class Smith was engaged in the construction of a prisoner of war holding
area when his Task Force was violently attacked by a company-sized enemy force.
Realizing the vulnerability of over 100 fellow soldiers, Sergeant First Class
Smith quickly organized a hasty defense consisting of two platoons of soldiers,
one Bradley Fighting Vehicle and three armored personnel carriers. As the fight
developed, Sergeant First Class Smith braved hostile enemy fire to personally
engage the enemy with hand grenades and anti-tank weapons, and organized the
evacuation of three wounded soldiers from an armored personnel carrier struck
by a rocket propelled grenade and a 60mm mortar round. Fearing the enemy would
overrun their defenses, Sergeant First Class Smith moved under withering enemy
fire to man a .50 caliber machine gun mounted on a damaged armored personnel
carrier. In total disregard for his own life, he maintained his exposed
position in order to engage the attacking enemy force. During this action, he
was mortally wounded. His courageous actions helped defeat the enemy attack,
and resulted in as many as 50 enemy soldiers killed, while allowing the safe
withdrawal of numerous wounded soldiers. Sergeant First Class Smith’s
extraordinary heroism and uncommon valor are in keeping with the highest
traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, the
Third Infantry Division “Rock of the Marne,” and the United States Army.”