‘Do Some Soul Searching’

Posted December 7, 2005, 11:24 a.m.

The Wall St. Journal today published the transcript from a speech that Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld delivered on Monday at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland. I hope you’ll give it a serious read.

Rumsfeld doesn’t ignore the criticisms of the war or the difficulties we (and the Iraqi people) are facing, but—unlike most media and politicians—he also addresses some of the positive things that are happening. You don’t have to agree with Rumsfeld, but I hope the liberals among you will at least read this and consider what he said rather than screaming “RUMSFELD EVIL; NO WAR FOR OIL.”

The picture he paints of what’s happening in Iraq is neither the ‘fire and brimstone’ hyperbole repeated ad nauseam by the left and mainstream media, nor is it the ‘rainbows and butterflies’ line of the irrational right. In fact, based on everything I’ve seen from politicians on both sides, this is probably the closest thing I’ve seen to reality—which, like always, falls somewhere in-between.

‘Do Some Soul Searching’ (Wall St. Journal; free email subscription may be required).

Scott Bradford has been putting his opinions on his website since 1995—before most people knew what a website was. He has been a professional web developer in the public- and private-sector for over twenty years. He is an independent constitutional conservative who believes in human rights and limited government, and a Catholic Christian whose beliefs are summarized in the Nicene Creed. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Public Administration from George Mason University. He loves Pink Floyd and can play the bass guitar . . . sort-of. He’s a husband, pet lover, amateur radio operator, and classic AMC/Jeep enthusiast.

Quotes

We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But if the drop was not in the ocean, I think the ocean would be less because of the missing drop.

The bearing of a child takes nine months, no matter how many women are assigned.

You might think a topic is too complicated to master for your use, but you might learn otherwise in less than a minute if you bother to check.

There are worse things than losing an election; the worst thing is to lose one’s convictions and not tell the people the truth.

The Constitution[‘s] . . . language is ‘we the people;’ not we the white people. Not even we the citizens, not we the privileged class, not we the high, not we the low, but we the people.

In most projects, the first system built is barely usable. It may be too slow, too big, awkward to use, or all three. There is no alternative but to start again, smarting but smarter, and build a redesigned version in which these problems are solved.

The purpose of the First Amendment’s religion clause was not to protect the state (or the people) from religion, but to protect religion from the state. . . .

When threatened, the first thing a democracy gives up is democracy.

From a moral point of view this is certain: even if a doubt existed concerning whether the fruit of conception is already a human person, it is objectively a grave sin to dare to risk murder.

I take toleration to be a part of religion. I do not know which I would sacrifice; I would keep them both.

Don’t be afraid of the truth, even though the truth may mean your death.

A smile or a tear has no nationality. Joy and sorrow speak alike in all nations. . . .

Always do right; this will gratify some people and astonish the rest.

As a matter of fact, men and women are not equal in sex; they are quite unequal, and it is only because they are unequal that they complement one another. Each has a superiority of function.

No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention, or exile.

Dante once said that the hottest places in hell are reserved for those who in a period of moral crisis maintain their neutrality.

He who lives looking for pleasures only, his senses uncontrolled, immoderate in his food, idle, and weak (Mâra the tempter) will certainly overthrow him, as the wind throws down a weak tree.

A nation may establish a system of free government, but without the spirit of municipal institutions it cannot have the spirit of liberty.

The young are generally full of revolt, and are often pretty revolting about it.

All members of the human family [must] be respected and protected irrespective not only of race, sex, and ethnicity but also of age, size, location, stage of development, and condition of dependency. To exclude anyone from the law’s protection is to treat him unjustly.