All institutions are imperfect and need continuous reform. This should be no surprise since every institution is comprised of humans. If we can accept this reality without apology or rancor, we can avoid a great deal of angst.
It’s important to express gratitude for jobs well done and for acts of sacrifice and heroism. We have many to celebrate in the first half of 2020. I’ll start with a few. You can name others.
The U.S. military has a long tradition of submitting to civilian control while avoiding political manipulation. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair, Army General Mark Milley apologized for having “created a perception of the military involved in domestic politics.”
Police officers saluted as George Floyd’s casket passed in front of them. The nation is having a healthy, though difficult conversation about reimagining the way we police ourselves.
We reaffirm the meaning of duty when civilians wear masks to protect neighbors from a virus, hospital personnel risk infection to save others, and soldiers or peace officers risk life and limb for the common good. This healthy national soul-searching about the meaning of duty is a sign of hope.
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Duty is such a 19th-century word. It is time for it to come around again.
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