MORT’s Meanderings

WANTED:
A few good men and women who wore the uniform

Here is a ‘JOBS PLAN’ that as I see it, makes sense.

I believe the time is now, to repopulate the halls of Congress with dozens of former members of the U.S. Military. The men and women who have completed successful careers in the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard, possess precisely the qualities needed in those who deserve to be elected to represent and protect the legal citizens of the United States.

They understand the meaning of the words ‘honor, duty and commitment’. And too, they thoroughly understand the implications of swearing a sacred oath to preserve and protect the Constitution of the United States of America. They have no illusions regarding what it takes to live up to that oath, 24/7.

They’ve proven by their dedicated service to our nation, that they readily accept the burdens of ‘honor, duty and commitment’. I would love to see a requirement for a Congressional candidate to have served at least one regular hitch in a branch of the U. S. Armed Forces and received an Honorable Discharge, added to the criteria for qualification to run for office. To have a substantial number of veterans of our military serving in the Congress, would be in my opinion, a tremendous boost in the level of character, commitment and leadership in the Congress.

Who better to fill these jobs than men and women who have been highly trained in the disciplines of preserving the principles upon which this nation was founded and who have actually spent years guarding the virtue and freedoms we cherish above all else? Who better to serve as civilian guardians of the Constitution than those who have spent so much of their careers doing that job as military guardians? They don’t have to be taught American history - they’ve lived it, they’ve written it. Back in their early days as raw recruits, they learned to be self-reliant and yet, be part of a tightly-knit unit – to function as a team – and when the situation called for it, to quickly step forward into a leadership role. Only as a member of our military can this kind of individual development be experienced. Only as a member of our Armed Forces can these valuable lessons-learned and skills acquired, be imprinted indelibly onto the very DNA of ordinary citizens. Thus, these ‘ordinary’ citizens who’ve served our nation and worn the uniform, comprise an invaluable resource from which to draw truly exceptional candidates for elected office.

And, because they have become extraordinarily adept at recognizing and evaluating emergencies and have been so thoroughly schooled and practiced at prioritizing, planning and implementation, they are well positioned to function effectively in elected office – with a minimum of wasted effort and a maximum of on-target results. They expect to hit the bullseye.

Even though they might have spent several decades in uniform and earned the perks of retirement, many will still heed the call to extend their service to our nation by devoting another six or eight productive years as a Member of the United States Congress. We should only be so lucky.

Conservative Commentary by MORT KUFF © 2011