The events of this past weekend were humbling for a myriad of reasons. This post isn't about the Royal Wedding or free jewelry (sorry). It's about developments in our national security. As I watched our President deliver the message of what transpired Sunday Evening, the brave and disciplined actions of our soldiers, and the earthly end of a man's life who had wrought so much sadness and destruction around the world, I couldn't help but think about our three exchange students from the Middle East.
I'll call them Mo, King and Rudy. I have never met three kinder, more generous and helpful young men. In certain ways, the last ten years have forced citizens of many middle Eastern countries to evaluate what is and what isn't acceptable from their governments and in their cultures. There are many decent people who scrutinize everything they do, knowing it will reflect on their country and on their people who have been so poorly represented for so many years.
What I will say, is regardless of what you think about the last ten years, Mo, King and Rudy are some of the finest young men I have ever met. If this is what the next generation holds for the Middle East, we have something to look forward to. I also hope that in our political discourse and interaction, we can understand what we do and say to each other reflects a message to a much larger audience and has implications far beyond our borders. I hope I take this experience as an opportunity to ask more of myself and to treat others with more civility and respect. Please join me.
I'll call them Mo, King and Rudy. I have never met three kinder, more generous and helpful young men. In certain ways, the last ten years have forced citizens of many middle Eastern countries to evaluate what is and what isn't acceptable from their governments and in their cultures. There are many decent people who scrutinize everything they do, knowing it will reflect on their country and on their people who have been so poorly represented for so many years.
What I will say, is regardless of what you think about the last ten years, Mo, King and Rudy are some of the finest young men I have ever met. If this is what the next generation holds for the Middle East, we have something to look forward to. I also hope that in our political discourse and interaction, we can understand what we do and say to each other reflects a message to a much larger audience and has implications far beyond our borders. I hope I take this experience as an opportunity to ask more of myself and to treat others with more civility and respect. Please join me.
