Recently I watched again the movie, A Few Good Men, with the outstanding screenplay written by Aaron Sorkin. I’m going to modify one speech spoken in the movie by a Marine colonel played by Jack Nicholson.
A young military lawyer had criticized the way the colonel had disciplined one of his enlisted men, and he expressed a strong belief that he was entitled to an explanation. The colonel responded in a rage:
"Son, we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Who's gonna do it? (while sneering) You? I have a greater responsibility than you could possibly fathom. You weep for Santiago (the disciplined soldier), and you curse the Marines. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know, that Santiago's death, while tragic, probably saved lives. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives. You don't want the truth because deep down in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me on that wall, you need me on that wall. We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said thank you, and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon, and stand a post. Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you are entitled to."
Teaching Children to Survive
As parents, we must realize that we live in a world that can eat our children and spit them out like so much waste. We “stand a post” on a wall protecting our children at an early age, while we teach them how to survive and thrive in a world filled with deadly distractions and even assaults.
There is no pessimism or alarm here, only a realistic assessment of how the values of the world have degraded to a point where pain, fear, and selfishness have become normal.
Learn how to stand your post. Learn how to love and teach your children. Prepare them with the truth, with love, and with standards that will enable them to weather any assault.
If you will do that, your children will one day rise and bless your name. They will say “Thank you”—as the colonel suggested—and be on their way in the business of joyful living.
