Yes it does, and sometimes honor means sacrifice. Hang on a minute.
Yesterday, I received a call from someone I haven’t spoken to in 15 years. He was (still is) a really really good friend. Great guy who got caught up in some bad bad juju. Emphasis on “got caught”. It doesn’t matter what I believe. He is a good guy, and I will give him the shirt off my back. Always. Anytime. He is the type of person you want on your side. Killed people in Vietnam for us. Saved lives. Yes he did. Made sacrifices for you and me. Yes he did. A true Patriot…yes he is.
Fifteen years ago he had a wife and two children. Still does. They stood by him. Honor. Anyway, he was caught moving a LARGE quantity of rope. No violence at all, but the “people” decided they would make an example of him. He wouldn’t roll on his buddies, so they locked him up for 15 years. He never talked. Honor. Never talked, and he was punished for it. He never gave up, he stood by his guns and took the pain. The “people” wanted him to lie. He would’t do it. He was true to himself.
So, we talked for a little over three hours, and it was a good conversation. He realizes things have changed over the years, and he’ll have to ease back into it. I will still give him the shirt off my back, anytime.
All I can say is, if the chips are down, you definitely want him on your side.
He’s a great guy, and like I said…Honor comes in many flavors.
11 Comments
So he was a wholesaler for farm produce (honorable profession), trying to make a profit (capitalism), and spent 15 years in the slammer and away from his fam?
How absolutely idiotic is the drug war?
I’ll say “very”, jb.
Agreed
The whole thing was stupid, still is. He got screwed. Personally, I don’t do any drugs, but I’ve never put rope in the same category as the powder. Probably better than drinking, but what do I know? Hell if I know.
Glad to hear he’s out, and I hope and pray his adjustment is easy.
He will have a tough row to hoe, but he’ll be fine. A lot has changed in 15 years, on all fronts. He still has family and friends and support. The thing is, he really didn’t do anything wrong. It is what it is, and it is what it was.
Sounds like he was and still is a helluva guy
You’ve got that right.
This country would be a whole lot better if more folks had a tenth of the honor as your friend. True honor is from the heart and soul and one of the highest virtues, untouchable and largely misunderstood by “the people”. The War on Drugs has nothing to do with drugs, but everything about money and power. I wish your friend success in his reintegration. God bless him.
I agree with you 100%. He’ll be fine. I could write a long post using your thoughts, and I might. Meanwhile, I’m gonna go get up with him, drink some beer, and talk about the past, present, and future. He got shot by the Cong three times, he survived that, he’ll survive this.
Thank him, from me, for his service.