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Reflecting on D-Day, the sacrifices of America’s Greatest Generation, and the importance of being peacemakers in our sport and society.
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Eighty years ago, my father and 156,000 other Allied troops stormed the beaches at Normandy in the June 6, 1944 D-Day invasion that would be the turning point in the World War II conflict.
The battle, which saw over 4,000 lives lost, is just one example of how America’s Greatest Generation sacrificed all for the pursuit of freedom and democracy in the world.
My Father and so many of his generation who fought and saw the action, death, and destruction rarely spoke a word of the horrors they saw during their service to our country in the hope for peace throughout the world.
Jesus, when he delivered his Sermon on the Mount, proclaimed in the Beatitudes, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”
Those brave men and women peacemakers hailed from all parts of our country and every social, economic, religious, and racial background, proving that when we put aside our personal feelings and beliefs to achieve a greater goal, much can be accomplished.
Those of us who enjoy the freedoms we are provided here in our country owe a great deal to those who fought so hard to protect our freedoms.
Here we take for granted our freedom of speech. There are still many places in the world where this is not possible, and speaking out against any number of things could land you in prison or even have you ending up dead. Freedom of speech is one of the greatest benefits of our system. We are allowed to develop our ideas and express them in many different ways without worry of persecution.
Society today is again facing many of the same issues the world faced those 80-plus years ago. We have wars throughout the world, and in our own country we face another election year where tensions are again rising high.
Likewise, in our sport, there is a great use of our freedoms of speech and expression to attack and disparage one another for any number of reasons. We attack judges, breeders, and exhibitors alike when we are not happy with the outcomes of a show, an opinion, or a change that we might not agree with.
We know we cannot change history. Once something happens, it is over—it is history. Can we learn from history? You would think the answer would be yes, but often we continue to make the same mistakes over and over again.
Sure, we try to implement change or institute rules and regulations in the hope of changing behavior, yet ultimately, some things just never change.
In my opinion, it is time for all of us to take a lesson from the greatest generation and try to become “peacemakers.”
Individually, we will never be able to solve the problems in our world, our country, or our sport. But we can begin the process by simply bringing integrity, humility, and common sense into our dealings with one another.
I see so many people, with more in common with each other than differences, fight and argue over politics, rules, and outcomes they don’t agree with. Why can’t we respect the other person’s opinions? Sure, you may not agree with that outlook, but does that mean only you are right and they are wrong? Is it worth losing a friend over something trivial? Facebook and other social media posts are filled with hateful statements that do nothing but create ill will among our friends, families, and peers.
There is much to be accomplished when we all work together to try to understand our differences and respect others and their alternate ideas and insights.
We are all God’s children, born with the gift to develop our thoughts and beliefs. From birth we develop along the way, learning from our parents, teachers, siblings, friends, mentors, and others, into the person we each become. No two humans are the same.
The same is true in our sport. Each one of us has a different story and has experienced a different journey to arrive where we are today. In a sport, as in life, the journey is not over, and just like a river or a stream, the path is ever-changing as it goes.
Our sport, like America itself, is a great big melting pot of individuals. In a world experiencing chaos and division, we need to unite with mutual respect for one another so that our sport can continue and thrive into the future.
As you move forward in our wonderful world of dogs, ask yourself this question: Do I want to be a PEACEMAKER or a peace disrupter?
And remember, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”
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