OF IMPORTANCE

Two events captured global attention over the past few days.

The first was about that couple who seem to have successfully crashed that big White House party the President threw for the Prime Minister of India, and even got to shake hands with the President. An investigation is underway as to whether there was a major breach of security and how that could have happened.

The party and the story were not important. Had the couple committed a terrorist act inside the White House, it would have rattled our nation to its core and been extremely important. What is most interesting to me about this event is that the President and his staff have apparently given priority to drink, eat and be merry with a coterie of celebrities and "big shots" while thousands of our troops are risking their lives, undermanned, in a war...a war nobody in Washington seems to want to think about, or, for that matter, officially declare a war. The President has said he will announce his decision about sending more troops to Afghanistan next week. Why next week? Why not today? Yesterday? Why leave our forces in greater danger than they need to be? Should not the winning of that war be the President's first priority? Welcoming the Prime Minister could and shoould have been done quietly and privately. What was the real reason for this unimportant party and the outrageous disrespect shown toward the lives of our soldiers?

Driving in a car yesterday, my 19 year old son and I saw a license plate frame that said "Veteran of the Battle of the Bulge, 1944-5". "Wow", said my son, "I learned about the Battle of the Bulge in school. He fought against Germany and protected our freedom 65 years ago. That's great!" We saluted the car as we drove past. Are you listening, Mr. President?

At about 2:30 in the morning the other day, Tiger Woods had a one-car accident just outside his home, driving his car into a tree and sustaining some facial injuries. In the two days since, he has not made himself available to police, who are investigating the accident. His wife is reported to have given somewhat different stories about what happened, and global gossip is rife with speculation about where Woods was going, did he have a mistress, were the wounds to his face inflicted by his wife, etc.

Who cares? Where he was going, whether he has a mistress, and whether his wife caused his injuries is Mr. and Mrs. Woods' private business...and unimportant to the rest of us.

Where are we as a society when we have greater interest in being voyeurs than in being comrades in arms?
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I had occasion yesterday to have breakfast with, and renew friendship with, someone I hadn't seen in 35 years. Now that was important. Very.