There are simply no words to describe the horror show that was 2010! And if by some chance, Honor still had legs to stand on in this country…two more were taken out from under us right here in the Hudson Valley on December 27 when Jerome Brisman of Cornwall, New York passed away. He was the living face of honor in every sense to me. From the “Greatest Generation”, he was the very brick and mortar of American Exceptionalism…

I imagine there will be quite the gathering this Friday at the Old Cadet Chapel at West Point. I can remember attending a Leadership Training Course there once in the Officer’s Club. This building is perched atop one of the most inspirational and majestic views of the Hudson that you can imagine. I happened to glance out of the window in the middle of the class to see a bald eagle perfectly suspended on the wind currents at my eye level not 12 feet from me!

I have no idea if Jerry was ever in battle or fired his weapon at anyone. I just know that he gave way more than he took in every aspect of his life that I am aware of. A man’s family and community are always the perfect testament. If you knew him, you knew that his word was enough and his handshake was binding. I think I will remember the kindness in his eyes more than anything.

How do we measure this value in ourselves? Seriously, I know there are people who keep track of sperm counts generation after generation. Who’s tracking the honor count? Shouldn’t we be? What good is sperm count alone when it only quantifies quantity not quality?

So I’m driving into work yesterday listening to the Gambling Show and I tune into Joe Bartlett (I think) discussing the Brett Favre Sext Scandal when I hear him say, “Tiger Woods didn’t do anything wrong other than cheat on his wife.” And this comes right on the heels of the media’s attack on Governor “Courage” for being in Florida during the snow storm while they give a nod and a wink to a President whose entire term has been a vacation scrapbook! The same media that dishes out its daily dose of attacks on the Tea Party, Beck, Limbaugh and Palin while it coddles a feckless figure-head who prosecutes his daily war on honor and the honorable…from the once honorable command post he has occupied at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue since January 1^st 2009 and converted to a spineless battlefield of entitlement!

Welcome citizens of the world to our grand spectacle of transformation. Out with the old and in with the new! Say goodbye to honor, fidelity, loyalty and courage and open your hearts to the new world order of big government’s compassionate embrace! Oh, what’s that you say….am I being too cynical? I’ll tell you what…when I see leadership and courage walkin’ the Hill again, I’ll believe. Until then, I don’t see anyone stepping into Jerome Brisman’s shoes anytime soon!