Chapter 7 - Honor

Chapter 7

Honor

               American Honor is tied to honesty, sincerity, courage and a desire to do right.

               The United States Marine Corps has unofficially adopted the slogan, ‘Death Before Dishonor’.  It is not a joke phrase.  The men and women that ascribe to that idea are serious about it and will live and die according to it.

               The phrase ‘Death Before Dishonor’ suggests to us that there is no life without honor – or what life there would be would be imperfect.

               That is a rather heavy piece of thought but I think you should know that some Americans feel this way.

               Insults are not taken lightly.  We have all seen the use of American military force around the world or the actions of some police officers.  The application of persons working under a framework of American Honor can sometimes seem extreme.

               American Honor demands that adherence to certain behaviors is carried out.  Again – they include honesty, sincerity, courage and a desire to do right.  There is also a fervor in it because American Honor is active and the person expressing it will actively go about demonstrating in some way – unashamedly.

               The motto of the State of New Hampshire, one of the original 13 colonies, is “Live Free Or Die”.

               That State mottos is an example of American Honor expressed as an example of the assertive independence found in American government and the hearts of the American people.

The phrase comes from a letter written by General John Stark on the date of July 31, 1809.   General Stark had been declining in health and as New Hampshire's most famous soldier of the American Revolutionary War he was invited to an anniversary marking the Battle of Bennington.

The entire phrase he wrote was, “ Live free or die: Death is not the worst of evils.”

American Honor bristles at the thought of being held in slavery or even the appearance of such servitude.

Honor is defined as : honesty, fairness, or integrity in one's beliefs and actions

This is one step beyond ‘Honesty is the best policy’ and reveals behind it the desired integrity of those persons expressing American Honor.  It has to do not only with a reputation in business but a reputation in life for the self and family.  To be distinguished.  In the United States of America we are not born into situations of dictated ease and power.  Some people, it is true, are born rich, but even they may find it a hard row to hoe when seeking recognition and personal integrity beyond the boundaries that they can influence with money.

The United States Medal of Honor is awarded when someone displays “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her life above and beyond the call of duty while engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States.”

It is important to understand that in the United States honor, American Honor, is expressed positively.  This may be hard to understand considering that the Medal of Honor is normally awarded posthumously – that is, after death.  Let me be clear.  In some countries and cultures defending the honor of the family means punishing members of the family that do not live up to some way out definition of honor defined either by that culture or family or religion.

I am referring to ‘honor killing’.

American Honor and ‘honor killing’ have nothing in common.  In fact in light of American Honor the act of ‘honor killing’ is dishonorable.

American Honor demands sacrifice of self – not sacrifice of others.  American Honor is a defense and a harbor – it is not judge, jury and executioner.

If there were some situation in a family which one or more persons might have perpetrated that brought disgrace on the family it would be the responsibility, according to the unwritten code of American Honor, for the other members of the family or even those who committed the violation – to make it up in an honorable fashion.  That is the way of redemption beyond forgiveness which is also virtue in American society but which we will not discuss here.

Suffice it to say about forgiveness is that most Americans will ‘forgive but not forget’, so that, they are on guard for any future difficulty.

The person wishing to express American Honor is seeking a way to excel.  It could be in academics in mathematics or a spelling bee, it could be in politics, it could be in the military, it could be in science or manufacturing.  The important thing would be that they were working to excel and create something of worth and goodness not only for themselves but to share with others.

It is a strong root in the nation and national honor is tied up in it.

               Let me provide you with a few notes about what American Honor is – and what it is not.

               American Honor considers it honorable to tell the truth.  It is dishonorable to lie.

               American Honor believes it honorable to be honest.  It is dishonorable to deceive.

               American Honor means that you fulfill your promises to the best of your ability.  It is considered dishonorable to break your promises in order to make gain for yourself.

               Showing up on time is a good way to express American Honor.  It is dishonorable to be repeatedly late.

               It is honorable to care about others and work for the common good.  It is dishonorable to treat others with contempt or to avoid your public duties.

               It a sign of American Honor to be kind and courteous to those that are weaker than you.  It is dishonorable to be a bully.

               It is honorable to help those less intelligent than you are.  It is dishonorable to take advantage of others.

               American Honor feels it is meritorious to play by the rules.  It is dishonorable to cheat.

               It is honorable to work diligently whether for yourself or someone else.  It is dishonorable to slack off or be lazy.

               It is considered American Honor to share.  It is dishonorable to be a miser.

               It is the height of American Honor to be tolerant.  It is dishonorable to be prejudiced or intolerant.

               American Honor calls us to persevere and perseverance is considered honorable.  Giving up or surrendering when things get difficult is considered dishonorable.

               This last one needs clarification because it is not honorable to throw your life away.  Prudence and wisdom are to be used to determine what the best and wisest course of action is to take.  American Honor calls on you to take that option and if it is difficult to bear up with it.  American Honor does not call for death.  Wasting life is dishonorable.

               In many ways American Honor is nothing more than ensuring that you have a good name.   It is enough to be recognized as honest, hard working and considerate.  You will have no end of opportunities if you fulfill just those three items.

               From the many nations and millions of individuals that have inhabited the United States we as Americans have collected a wide experience of the world.  The best from it seems to be family and friends and society – in that order.  Society in this case being the local economy which affords for everyone to make a living and join together in social harmony.

               Violence and arrogance, though being displayed often in American society of late by people in many different roles does not change the fact that violence and arrogance are dishonorable.  Strength and forbearance are honorable.

               Nothing has changed those facts.

               Being polite, ready to work, humble, courageous and interested – these are American Honor in action.

               American Honor is aware that we cannot tell what will come to us in the future.  We must be prepared for fair or foul weather.  American Honor requires that if a person meets with success and grows rich or great that they share what they have gained with others and that they shall assist those in need without being haughty.

               Expressing American honor means when coming into contact with the blind, lame, deaf, mentally or physically handicapped that they will be treated with respect because you deserve the same.

               American Honor calls for us to put aside mocking and whining talk against us.  It is honorable to prove them wrong by not allowing patience to fail or work to stop.  It is best to keep on going even in the face of trouble.

               American Honor is a work of action and part of the American Journey and Adventure.  It is important not to be easily offended by the coarse and brutish.  It is important to attempt to fix things if you find that they are not right.

               The plain fact is if you do not act when you see the need to – it is quite possible that no one ever will.  Keeping this simple fact in mind can lead you into some very interesting and exciting adventures.

               It is no small thing to be called to express American Honor.  You can examine the lives of many good American men and women for their actions and see how they willingly subjected themselves to hardships and trials that they took upon themselves.

               It is because of men and women like John Brown, Susan B. Anthony and others that we live in a society worthy to be able to have a concept and idea like American Honor.  It is breathtaking to consider that one day you or one of your children, relatives or friends could, by simply being an honorable American, help us all on the American Journey by making it either easier for us or better.

               Slavery is dishonorable for the slave holders.  Freedom is honorable for all.

               Keeping certain rights reserved for one sex is dishonorable.  Having the right to vote for all is honorable.

               Allowing people to starve in the streets or wilderness is dishonorable.  Ensuring that all citizens have access to food is honorable and intelligent.

               The same may be said for medical care.  It is dishonorable to let some die or suffer because they cannot afford a doctor bill even though they have the same disease that someone with much money might have.  It is honorable to work towards ensuring that all of us may take comfort and be cared for by the fruits of the colleges, universities, hospitals and other institutions that have come into existence in this nation as a direct result of the work and sacrifice all Americans have made.  It is honorable and wise.

               Sometimes American Honor is expressed in a fashion that some people cannot understand.  It is usually enough that the person doing it thought it worthwhile and so it is matter of tolerance, if not understanding, to investigate for ourselves if we agree with them and want to help them.  If we decide to move forward with them and assist them, we, in essence, take on that part of the American Journey and Adventure for ourselves.  It is simple and easy.

               There is a popular song that has the following lines in it and I think it fit to repeat them here.  They are written by Van Morrison and they go like this :

               “You can’t stop us on the road to freedom

You can’t keep us ’cause our eyes can see

Men with insight, men in granite

Knights in armor bent on chivalry”

It is so.  It can be seen clearly by the history of our nation that this is one of our songs expressing our soul.

You may feel that you do not have the ability to make a change or any difference in this world but I tell you unequivocally that when you act in a positive in a good way, when you express American Honor in your own way, that you are making a change and that it is far reaching.

No expected the United States of America to last very long.  Even at its weakest points, however, the strength of the people never faded.  The belief in equality, freedom and reward for ability rather than position, reawakens daring and ignites adventure in the soul.  It is the song that has brought millions to our shores not for conquest but to join in and have the opportunity presented to them.

It is a bright and brilliant journey and when you express American Honor you are expressing it with every bit of courage and daring as Daniel Boone, Daniel Webster or anyone ever could.

There is a story told in the United States about a man called John Henry.  He expressed American Honor in the most extreme way in the story.  The story, simply told, is that John Henry was miner.  A mighty and powerful miner.  He could drill right through a mountain all on his own, it was said.  One day the company brought a steam drill to the work site and told John Henry that it could do more work than him.  One thing led to another and a contest was laid out where John Henry would drill through one tunnel and the steam drill through another till both had crossed the same mountain.

Many people expected John Henry to fail but he not only kept up with the steam engine he passed it.  In fact the steam engine broke down but he kept on going.  He went right through the mountain and won the contest.  However – he died after collecting his prize as a result of the dire and extreme actions he had taken.

The story is often told as an example of the differences the nation faced when steam power swept across the continent and showed up everywhere from ships to railroads to machines of every kind – including steam drills.

Whatever the reason for telling the story whenever I heard it there was always a mention of John Henry’s honor.  I mean, he wouldn’t have done it simply to beat the machine, right?  That would have been foolish.  It was his humanity that caused him to spring forward.  It was his frailty against iron and coal and steam that caused him to lose his life but he did not lose his honor.

It would have been a better story, I always thought, if John Henry did not die.  It wasn’t necessary for him to die – even to express his honor.   It was dishonorable for those that set up the contest to have done that in the first place.  It was dishonorable once it commenced not to stop it.  It was dishonorable when the machine broke down not to tell John Henry that he had completed his task and could dig at a more reasonable rate and not die.

Given the circumstances, though, and the fact that the story is likely not altogether true, except for the fact that many men in real life were spurred on to extraordinary labors and put into positions where they actually were competing against machines – John Henry did express American Honor.  He did it for his family, his friends and his way of life.

I think the main point of the story in light of American Honor is that those persons who had the ability to humanize the introduction of the machinery while increasing their own profits and activities – they acted dishonorably by not trying to meld the old and the new together.

Progress happens.  There is not much to do about it.  The very nature of American Honor calls out for improvement, daring, self-sacrifice and hard work.  It should be tempered, however, with understanding, knowledge, forbearance and mercy.

Once you set the things in motion that you will set in motion or once you join in the wonderful series of events connected with some enterprise that you believe in or must act you will perceive the great power that is contained within the phrase American Honor.

The outward expression of American Honor helps us to protect our shores, care for our friends, sail around the world, sail to the moon and the bottom of the sea or climb to the top of the highest mountain.

Honor is different for many people.  In America it is an expression of good.  It is building a bridge to others as well as into the future.  It is an idea and that idea turned into action not to hurt but to free, liberate and expand.

When expressing American Honor if you join with someone or express it yourself – it is best to see it through to the end no matter what.

To do that requires loyalty.

We will be discussing American Loyalty next.