General of the Army Douglas MacArthur graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1903. He became the commander of the 42nd (“Rainbow”) Division in France during World War I.
He served as Superintendent at West Point from 1919 to 1922 and became U.S. Army Chief of Staff in 1930.
In 1935, he became Field Marshall and military advisor to the Philippine government, overseeing the formation of their army.
In 1941, at the beginning of World War II, General MacArthur was named Commander of U.S. Army Forces in the Far East. In 1942, he was appointed Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in the Southwest Pacific.
He accepted Japan’s surrender on September 2, 1945, and oversaw the Allied occupation until 1951.
While Superintendent at West Point, Gen. MacArthur had these words permanently inscribed on the wall, reflecting his opinion of the great value of athletics:
“Upon the fields of friendly strife are sown the seeds that upon other fields, on other days, will bear the fruits of victory.”
At the start of the Korean War in 1950, General MacArthur was named Commander-in-Chief of United Nations forces in Korea. He held this role until President Truman removed him from command in 1951.
I remember General MacArthur’s TV address to Congress after he was publicly humiliated by President Truman. Without bitterness or anger, he said, “Old Soldiers never die. They just fade away.”
MacArthur saw the vicious anger of warfare and its destructive effects. But he was a gentleman and an Army officer. He knew both the necessity of war, the greatest expression of vicious anger, and the even greater importance of “friendly strife.”
If we practiced “friendly strife” in Congress, no child would have to cover his or her eyes and ears to block out rage, indecent language, and disordered, inhumane, uncontrolled, frightening, and threatening emotion.
Thomas Babington Macaulay (1800–1859) was a prominent English historian, poet, and Whig politician of the Victorian era. He offered sound advice on the value of preventing the incivility of words that cripple us today:
“Men are never so likely to settle a question rightly as when they discuss it freely.”
If a nation expects to be free, it must permit cognitive, logical, rational, and reasonable communication to dominate its childlike, absurd, and hateful emotional regressive expressions.
One of the casualties of venomous speech is the death of God’s gift of a good sense of humor.
“This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24.
Each day is a bright gift from God. Choose to be happy, then you will be good!
To become a congressional page, you must be sponsored by a Senator or Representative, meet age (16 or 17) and academic (GPA of 3.0 or higher) requirements, and be a US citizen.
The U.S. House of Representatives ended its page program in 2011, following a scandal that included a page. Only the Senate offers federal pages.
Applicants must be high school juniors nominated by a senator and meet strict criteria. Each session accepts just 30 pages, making the program highly competitive.
Since 1971, half the pages are male and half are female.
Sadly, the US Senate is fertile ground for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder among its pages, Senate staff, and Senators themselves.
Words, like bullets, are harmless until they are delivered in hostile, derogatory, and deadly forms.
The oath of office of the US Senate is a promise, ending in a prayer, “So help me God.”
God hears and answers our prayers according to His will. He also reaches our hearts and minds through family, friends, ministers, priests, and rabbis, but he is also revealed to us through his Word or Bible.
Jesus Christ, the embodied form of God, tells us in His Word that we prove our love for Him by keeping His commandments:
“If you love me, you will obey my commandments. 16 Then I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept, because it does not see him or know him. But you know him, because he resides with you and will be in you.” John 14:15-18.
“If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless.” James 1:26.
Established in 1964, the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships is a leading American program for leadership and public service.
White House Fellowships offer exceptional young men and women first-hand experience working at the highest levels of the Federal government.
Individuals in this position spend one year working full-time, with compensation, assisting senior White House staff, Cabinet Secretaries, and other high-level government officials.
Fellows join roundtable discussions with prominent leaders from both private and public sectors. Fellowships are granted without political bias.
Years ago, a White House Fellow asked me to serve as his executive coach, an honor and a privilege. For a year, we spent an hour each week on the phone pondering his thoughts and feelings about experiencing our government up close.
He began his fellowship as an idealist. When it ended, he was a realist, wanting no future in politics, but he established lasting relationships with other fellows in the program.
This was long before Charlie Kirk came upon the scene with his Turning Point, USA, founded on proven Christian faith, family, and love of our country.
Managing anger is essential.
According to Christian counselors, half of those seeking counseling present challenges related to managing anger.
Anger disrupts communication, damages relationships, and harms well-being. Rage, uncontrolled anger, is associated with heart attacks.
People often explain or rationalize their anger rather than acknowledging responsibility for it.
Anger is an emotion experienced by people to differing extents.
Thankfully, God’s Word contains principles regarding how to handle anger in a godly manner and how to overcome sinful, irrational anger.
Too often, we allow angry grudges to destroy our health and well-being.
At least three times in Scripture, God reminds us that vengeance is His:
“Vengeance is mine, and recompense, for the time when their foot shall slip; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and their doom comes swiftly.” Deuteronomy 32:35.
For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” Hebrews 10:30.
Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” Romans 12:19.Creat
When our grudges are revealed, they are all about vengeance, payback, getting even, or worse.
From General of the Army Douglas MacArthur to your “little private convulsive self,” love your Creator, your family, your neighbor, your country, and study your Creator’s Manual (Scripture), giving thanks for His bountiful blessings.
Robert S. Brown, MD, PHD a retired Psychiatrist, Col (Ret) U.S. Army Medical Corps devoted the last decade of his career to treating soldiers at Fort Lee redeploying from combat. He was a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Professor of Education at UVA. His renowned Mental Health course taught the value of exercise for a sound mind.
