As a young Marine Lieutenant, I once had a boss who was fond of saying a short phrase: "words have meanings." He usually used this phrase when it came to giving detailed, written orders prior to an exercise. It was his way of emphasizing the fact that a mission designated as a "movement to contact" was decidedly different than a "combat patrol." To mistake one for the other was to convey the wrong intent, and most military personnel will tell you that once bullets start flying, the commander's intent is all you've really got to guide you.
For whatever reason, this notion that "words have meanings" hit home recently in a very subtle way. Right now, we are still in the midst of the hurricane season. Shortly, flu season will be upon us. And of course as we all know, what was once the Christmas season, but is now simply the holiday season, is just right around the corner. It seems that the government is well aware of man's innate nature to follow the seasons and the changes that accompany them. By officially giving something a season all its own, the message is conveyed that the government is capable of controlling it.
The Atlantic and Caribbean hurricane season officially lasts from June 1st to November 30th. There was a time when this meant that people living along coastal regions would take precautions, like trimming overhanging trees from their property. Nowadays, thanks to FEMA, there really is no need to take such preventive measures since recovery is just a presidential declaration away.
My prayers do indeed go out to the people of Florida who have had a difficult past few months, and I'm proud to say that my local church sent charitable donations. At the same time, I do not believe my tax dollars should go to fund someone's choice for beachfront property. There are inherent risks in coastal living, and it's not the federal government's job to step in and try to eliminate these risks by tax collections and redistributions. That essentially amounts to a subsidized year round vacation.
Flu season is another great example. Growing up, I was never aware that there was such a thing. Today, there is widespread panic at not having enough vaccines to carry us through the season. To hear the major networks cover the story, one is left with the impression that here again, only the government can rectify the situation. Like most issues, the flu vaccine again demonstrates that neither Democrat nor Republican has even a vague understanding of the Constitution or the notion of a republic. John Kerry recently blamed the vaccine shortage on George Bush. The Bush camp simply responded with the claim that funding for flu vaccines had been increased under this administration from $39 million to $283 million. In other words, neither side can fathom a world where flu vaccines come under the auspices of the individual state, or better yet, the individual.
In thinking about the importance of having a season all your own, it was natural to think of the movie A Man For All Seasons, which won the Academy Award for best picture in 1966. This film portrayed the life of Sir Thomas Moore, who refused to go along with England's King Henry VIII's wishes to divorce his wife and marry his mistress. Such fidelity to convictions is really a lost concept in today's political world, so much so that one of Moore's more famous quotes seems almost silly by today's standards: "Anyone who campaigns for public office becomes disqualified for holding any office at all." What's interesting about such a comment is that we all know this to be true. After all, right now, most high schools across the country are currently in the midst of their football seasons. This season, like all others, has its rites and rituals, one of which is homecoming. Everyone knows that the girl who goes around school trying to get people to vote for her never wins the homecoming queen honor. If she does, the win is tainted, and really rather pointless.
As with all things seasonal, this presidential campaign season will soon be over. Like the girls who court votes for the honor of being her school's homecoming queen, I'm afraid that choosing between Bush or Kerry is rather pointless. My former company commander was correct. Words do have meanings, and if you've been paying attention to the rhetoric, you know that Bush and Kerry mean the same thing: continued government aggrandizement. And as for the flu vaccine, I'm just sticking with vitamin C.
October 22, 2004
John Schroder [send him mail] is a graduate of the Naval Academy and a former Marine infantry officer. Having resigned his commission, he is to begin doctoral work in political science this fall at Louisiana State.
