Ambassador’s loyalty serves the nation well
Loyalty is a value sought by anyone in a leadership or position of power. It is also a value that guides our individual lives. We had an example of national loyalty this past Friday as Ambassador Yovanovitch gave her opening statement to the House of Representatives Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Committee on Foreign Affairs, and Committee on Oversight and Reform.
Ambassador Yovanovitch’s loyalty oath reveal her dedication:
…that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; and that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same. Like all foreign service officers with whom I have been privileged to serve, I have understood that oath as a commitment to serve on a strictly nonpartisan basis, to advance the foreign policy determined by the incumbent President, and to work at all times to strengthen our national security and promote our national interests.
Though our unspoken expectation is for such loyalty, it’s comforting when we hear these words from a prestigious United States servant. Loyalty to our U.S. Constitution matters.
Misdirected loyalties fail nations
She continues, however, with a warning:
Corrupt leaders are inherently less trustworthy,
The warning speaks of a danger we, on a global basis, face when one’s loyalty is misdirected and aims to do harm. She continues:
To be clear, Ukraine is filled with many citizens and officials who want the very things we have always said we want for the United States: a government that acts in the interests of its people; “a government of the people, by the people and for the people.”
Individual loyalties guide our everyday lives
What values do our sense of loyalty serve? Beyond the national stage we, as individuals, exercise loyalty on a daily basis for any number of reasons. We are loyal to our friends and family. Loyalty plays a part in practicing our religion or participating in community affairs. Loyalty touches us personally as we incorporate values that guide our behaviors and shape our words. Our sense of decency is constrained or enabled according to our loyalty to what we consider matters most.
We may be grandly diverse in this great nation, but we commonly adhere to our guiding principles because we trust them and they serve us. In this one small aspect, we are all alike. We are not mere leaves blowing in the wind (though now is the season for it). Our thoughts and our values and our loyalties make us who we are.
Impeachment will test our loyalty
As the presidential impeachment unfolds, our loyalties will be tested. We will take sides as our opinions solidify. Our allegiance to a political party and/or politician may become stronger or it may vacillate and weaken, but either stance will depend on the guiding loyalties we each follow.
So, it matters what loyalties we have and how they are expressed. It matters if we base them on facts or wishes or false narratives. Great care needs to be taken to ensure our loyalties are well placed and support a long-lasting and positive result.
Ambassador Yovanovitch’s reminder that ours is a government of the people, by the people, and for the people, must not be lost on us. The dangers imposed by rogue powers, unchecked greed, and corrupt manipulation can harm all of us. Loyalty for this nation is a precious tool that can well serve all of us.
Equal Voice Voting enables our national loyalty
The key value that Equal Voice Voting (EVV) offers is that every vote cast for a president must matter. EVV is the only presidential voting mechanism, as it preserves the Electoral College, that can make that claim.
Further, EVV is based on the notion that, just as every and all votes matter, our collective voting voice is vital for our nation to thrive. The preciousness of our votes requires their protection. We must not tolerate voting suppression of any kind – either of the voter or after the ballots are cast. This is a fundamental truth to which EVV is dedicated.
National loyalty puts harmony over division
As you watch or listen to how the presidential impeachment plays out, you may find yourself disturbed and even angry. Emotions will run high during this time. Many will be disappointed while many others will relish the results. Our nation may well become further divided. Let us not encourage such division for it serves none of us. Let us be kind, not taunting. Let us invite harmony rather than discord into our lives and our homes.
Some say loyalty is earned. It seems to me that these United States, even with all of its flawed history, still deserves our loyalty. What we see playing out in Washington is not a separated marvel to entertain us. Rather, it is a time that calls for all of us to step up and be loyal to what best serves all of us.
Personal loyalty speaks to our personal integrity
This is a time when we can take a lesson from Shepard Smith, Fox News Anchor, as he resigned. As The Daily Wire reported, He signed off telling us:
Even in our polarized nation, it is my hope that facts will win the day, that the truth will always matter, that journalism and journalists will thrive.
May we, too, seek the facts and put our loyalties, our energies, and our votes to whatever serves the collective good for this nation, for our future, and our personal selves.
Thanks, Shep. Your loyalty to facts, truth, and journalism served us well.
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By Jerry Spriggs and the Equal Voice Voting Team