When describing the design for the proposed monument honoring President Dwight Eisenhower, Washington Post cultural critic Philip Kennicott referred to it as “a relatively small representation of Eisenhower.” He went on to say that the small representation acknowledged that “there were many other men who could have done what he did, who would have risen to the occasion if they had been tapped.” When I read this in George Will’s column, Reasons to Like – and Honor – Ike, I was dumbfounded. I was struck by the naiveté and the disrespect that these words conveyed.
Why do icons and symbols so often outlast our memories of leaders who created them? This question was nagging at me for several days last week after I heard an interview with Sharon La Cruise, whose film, Daisy Bates: The First Lady of Little Rock, premiered on PBS on February 1st. Ms. La Cruise’s film tells the story of a forgotten hero of the Civil Rights Movement. The film explores the life of Daisy Bates, who helped the Little Rock Nine become the first African-American students to cross the racial divide to attend Little Rock Central High School in 1957.
Two of my heroes, Jim and Louise Mulligan, shared the following story with me. While leadership starts with knowing ourselves and what truly matters to us, this knowledge means nothing if we don’t live in a way that reflects it. That means talking about our beliefs and values and sharing them with others openly and proudly. While I value the freedoms I enjoy as an American, this story reminded me that I often take them for granted. Quang Nguyen doesn’t, and the Mulligans don’t. It makes me stop and consider what other values I might be ignoring.
This past Sunday our priest, Father Mike Renninger, told the story of a friend of his who went to the mall to buy a specific Christmas gift. Somewhere between her home and the mall she forgot what she had gone to buy. Rather than turn around and go home, she decided to walk around the mall until she recalled what she needed to buy. Two hours and several hundred dollars later, she left the mall without the intended purchase.
One of my favorite misquotes is “All that’s necessary for the forces of evil to win in the world is for enough good men to do nothing.” This statement is often attributed to Edmund Burke, but in reality, he never said it. Regardless of who first coined this expression, I love it. It is an absolute truth. When people do evil things, good people can stop them. But they must chose to act and to get others to act with them. Great leaders have the ability to stimulate others to be good, to act in the face of evil. Sometimes it means convincing others to take huge risks and make real sacrifices. Other times, it is as easy as pointing out a problem and inviting others to help you solve it.