Sins of Omission

On Memorial Day 2013, the commanding general of the Florida Air National Guard gave a speech at the St. Augustine National Cemetery. He left out the Civil War – in giving the history of our Nation's military, he completely skipped over the Civil War, talking only about wars against foreigners and terrorists, though there were Civil War dead buried beneath our feet, including a number of Civil graves marked U.S.C.T. – U.S. Colored Troops – African-Americans who fought to preserve, protect and defend the Union.

A request for a copy of this Air National Guard General's Memorial Day speech yielded the disturbing datum (by E-mail from his assistant) that the General did not keep a copy on any computer, and that he disposed of the paper copy “on his way to the airport,” (he is a commercial pilot). A request for a video or audio tape has not yet been acknowledged.

Why in the world would a U.S. General write a Memorial Day speech omitting the sacrifices of both sides in our Civil War, omitting those who gave their lives for equality, and (to top it all off), unlawfully destroy a government record, to wit, the only copy of his speech (in possible violation of state and federal laws)?  Was he afraid of offending KKK members?

The General in quo is an Air Force Academy graduate. He needs to leave speech-writing and speech-giving to politicians – neither one is his forte.

This is not the first time a speech by a Florida National Guard General has shown gross insensitivity – its Commanding General once told a Flagler College Auditorium First America audience that Saddam Hussein was responsible for 9/11.

A former Florida National Guard Commanding General planned a Stealth aircraft flyover for his departure ceremony (until I reported it to the Inspector General in the Pentagon). The Florida National Guard is headquartered here in St. Augustine, and journalistic scrutiny is long overdue – real journalists and real newspapers, please note.

On Independence Day, the St. Augustine Record carried a front page article about Sandra Parks' ancestor having fought (and lost his arm) in the Civil War Battle of Gettysburg 150 years ago, on the Confederate side. There are multiple photos, and more photos on the Record's website. It was a herooic story, but included nothing about the purpose and effect of the Civil War (and no balance with Union heritage in the Civil War).

Also, on Independence Day, the Record did not print the text of the Declaration of Independence, which other U.S. newspapers reprint on July 4th. The Record still evidently prefers printing ranting cant from Ann Coulter to stimulating thinking about the sources of our freedoms, which are under attack by large organizations favored by the Record's columnists..

In 1776, our Founders wrote in the Declaration of Independence that all “are created equal” and “endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights” including the “right to :life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

Let us dedicate ourselves to living our Founders' dreams, and to improving the quality of debate here in St. Augustine and St. Johns County, where the KKK and Caudillos long ruled.  Expect democracy.

Perhaps next Veterans Day or Memorial Day will see a woman or African-American or GLBT enlisted veteran speak who was not and never was a military officer ---someone who exemplifies and appreciates diversity and equality.

As suggested by its reader survey, perhaps the Record will soon dump Ann Coulter and other crabby conservative columnists, making room for more thoughtful voices, like yours and mine (and Maureen Dowd and Paul Krugman).

What do y'all reckon?