Weapon of Choice

(Please know, up front, the pictures have nothing to do with the writing.) 

Sporadic pop pop pop gunshots erupted on the street on my last full day at Kabul embassy. Gunfire continued, enough to get up from my nap (!). Looked out the third floor window of my room. Scurrying security guards moved about pointedly. 

One guard took a prone firing position, on the deck, aiming outward from the wall that encloses the embassy compound towards a place where Afghan kids usually play in the street. The gunfire sounds came from that direction. Sametime, sirens began wailing and, here at the embassy not a woman's but a man's recorded voice stiltingly broadcast over a loudspeaker, "Duck. And. Cover. Duck. And. Cover. Stay. Away. From the. Windows. And seek. Shelter." That message continued to play over and over for about twenty minutes, sirens wailing.

 

Americans have certain ways of reacting to seemingly dangerous situations. One way: humor. We have a place on the embassy where many overworked government servants congregate at the end of the day, after dinner, to enjoy each other's company and partake of libations. In a kind of psychologically twisted way, we named the bar, Duck and Cover. As that siren wailed and the voice told me to, "Duck. And. Cover," I couldn't help of any better way to pass the time than to hightail it to the Duck and Cover to have a beer whilst the Taliban hordes tried to breach the walls and come after us. Another example of American humor in the midst of a difficult situation: the crew of an American EP-3 was forced to hard land in China and held hostage about 11 years or so ago. Chinese guards were befuddled by the insurmountable attitude of the Americans. Often, unpredictably, the guys and gals in the crew would break out in the Eagles song, Hotel California, the one that goes, "You can check out any time you like. But you can never leave." How could those Americans sing when surrounded by guards, living in Chinese barracks, not knowing when or if they would ever get out or if they would be shot for "spying" on China? Must have something to do with hope. I like to think that in the middle of all that they hoped, i.e. they knew, their government was doing all it could and would continue to do all it could in its power, very considerable power, for every individual in that crew.

 

Back to the story. Turned out that Taliban hordes were not trying to breach the walls on this occasion. Word on the street: an Afghan on Afghan bungled kidnapping attempt or bank robbery. But that brings me to another way Americans react to situations with others or other nations: fear. We often come across as a fearful lot. Not knowing exactly what was going on outside those embassy walls, our "security" guys drew their guns and were ready to go, guns a blazin'. It was necessary in this case, to be sure. But people make mistakes, all the training in the world notwithstanding. Guys with guns are not exempt from this reality, especially fearful guys with guns. 

On the other hand, what comes across as fear to others could also be called, "attentiveness," which is not such a bad thing to have. Our world requires attentiveness. Indeed, this experiment in which we are all engaged, this attempt to exercise free government as a body politic, remains a fragile undertaking in history; must be protected. However, to the extent that we react at others from fear instead of who we are as a nation, motivated by the power of individual liberty and justice for all, we can make others edgy. Not a good thing where weapons, some capable of killing  whole cities of people in one fell swoop, abound. People with weapons can make mistakes.

My point seeks to agree somewhat with Brennan in his blog. In an "Us and Them" world, if we relate to others only in ways that dominate by armed force, or seem to over rely on force, we become a significant cause of our own insecurity. Others will resist. I surely would. I guess my point is: if our weapon of choice in relating with others in the world seems to be through weapons, then our nation will be short lived on the world stage. Live by the sword, die by the sword. Is that in the Bible?

Don't know. But what is in the Bible is the human strain to beat "swords into ploughshares," meaning enough with the weapons, let's get on with doing productive things that bring food to the table, both to our own tables and to those with whom we share this crowded and growing smaller place, Earth. If guns dominate relations, no one is growing the food or making tables or chairs or eating utensils or financing the people who do. What makes these United States the great nation it is, in my humble opinion (imho), are ideas assembled and arranged in such a way in our Constitution that men and women are incentivized to discover who they are as individuals and apply that in freedom to serving others in community, receiving value for service, be it farming or banking or construction or waiting tables, and sharing value with others who serve because none of us will ever have all we need alone. It is a great system, a balance not struck quite so well by any other nation in the world, again, imho. If I understand Brennan's thrust: self reflection, idea sharing, dialogue, commerce, and honest true-to-self-and-others negotiations will make the global neighborhood much better than weapon pointing.

 

I began this post thinking I would move to Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and their relevance to what is going on in Afghanistan. However, I shall let it rest; will get to that on my next post.

 

Am returned to the U. S.; amongst you I dwell. Thank you for your prayers while I was over there. Prayers work miracles, no doubt, and this strange mix of dust and water inside my flesh will look to smile with each of you again. Airborne, enroute to Colorado, am struck by the beauty of this verdant land of ours. God shed His grace on thee. Please know you are blessed just to be living in these United States. If you are prone to gratefulness, let me suggest your life here is one thing for which to be grateful. I am. I do not love my country more than I love my God. However, I love my country because it gives me the space to love my God, who calls me to love you, which I do, deeply, of my own accord, which is how I believe my God would want it. Peace, Tim

p.s. These pictures are a tribute to two groups of people. One, the beautiful people in Afghanistan, for whom you are devoting considerable resources and sending your fellow countrymen and women; some give their lives most immediately on the Afghan behalf, the most unselfish act. Two: to you, the group of people who offer your bounty and lives so the Afghans may have life, freedom to choose, as well. Who knows if what you offer will be enough? But you offer it anyway, another unselfish act.