My eldest daughter created this image with Canva. Humilitas First mission is to educate people of good will in the fundamental principles of leadership and legitimate defense. That concerns the physical battles we may face in this life. However there is a battlefield that comes before the physical. It is the moral battlefield.
Mark 8:36 For what shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and suffer the loss of his soul?
The prayer and meditation of the Rosary is a powerful weapon in spiritual battle. Pick it up and wield it daily!
In the last post I took a look at gun control legislation in the state of Illinois. So that got me thinking about how several states have fallen to a point that they elected officials who in plain view have begun voting to infringe upon the constitutional rights of their own citizens. I think the short answer has a lot to do with power. The longer answer has to do with a crisis in leadership in every conceivable profession or vocation. That crisis in leadership always ends up in a crisis in craftsmanship.
“Never ascribe to malice that which is adequately explained by incompetence.”
Napoleon Bonaparte
I believe it’s a mix of both. Incompetence for some though for some malice as an exchange to acquire power. To understand things you always have to go back to the beginning.
August 2, 1776, delegates began signing the Declaration of Independence. On September 17, 1787, 39 of the 55 delegates signed it while those who refused did so out of an objection to the lack of a Bill of Rights. The first 10 Amendments became part of the United States Constitution in 1791.
Here’s a short excerpt from the Declaration of Independence:
We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal: that they are endowed by their creator with inherent & inalienable rights: that [among] these are life, liberty, & the pursuit of happiness.”
The Declaration of Independence came before the Constitution and Bill of Rights. Those tasked with answering seemingly difficult constitutional questions would be wise to consider those questions in light of our inherent and inalienable rights given to us by God. Those were literally spelled out in the Declaration of Independence.
Why does any of this matter? St. Thomas Aquinas was purported to have said: An error in the beginning is an error indeed. Why? Errors at the level of formation or first principles will compound over time. I believe our founding fathers gave us great gifts in the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights. I believe the founding fathers got it right at the level of formation.
If America had kept these fundamental first principles in priority of place we’d never have had slavery. Why? How could we have slavery with a first principle that said: all men are created equal?
Constitutional questions like abortion and gun control would be very easy to answer by a quick review of the founding fathers intentions, beliefs, and vision for the United States clearly written down in the Declaration of Independence. The problem is there are some number of Americans who do not share the founding fathers intentions, beliefs, and vision for the United States of America.
Recently the Illinois House and Senate passed gun control legislation which was signed into law by Governor Pritzker. This legislation seeks to define the words “assault weapon.” The United States constitution says in part that the Second Amendment shall not be infringed. Meaning the good people of the United States ought not act so as to limit, undermine, or encroach upon that right. This new law also limits magazine capacity for law-abiding Illinoisans. “Law abiding” being the qualifying terms. I’m going to share an apparent secret (not really a secret): Bad guys couldn’t care less how many laws you pass! As a retired police officer I can tell you that unjust “criminal” aggressors are not losing any sleep over this new legislation. Talk to a young gang member and ask him his five year plan. Don’t be surprised if he admits to you he’ll be rich, in prison, or dead.
In 2022 there were 665 people shot and killed in Chicago, Illinois (heyjackass.com). Experience has made very clear to me that the vast majority of those unjust murderers led lives as scofflaws with no shortage of criminal records. By some great mystery our generation doesn’t find those kinds of facts newsworthy today (sarcasm). I support the founding fathers principle of states rights. That then moves me to ponder a question: As Illinoisans at what point do we consider moving our families to a red state that is more in line with our family values and beliefs?
On the left, gun control has become a knee jerk solution to the evil (sinful) violent acts we watch or read about daily. On the surface level this solitary solution trumps the left’s other solution of redistribution of wealth. What we don’t hear on the left is a call to strengthen the family structure of the poor. We don’t hear about the presence or absence of an authentically masculine father. We don’t hear about the need for a father who’s willing to forgo the immediate gratification of acting like a permissive parent. We don’t hear about those fathers who reject the idea of immediate gratification in exchange for the delayed satisfaction that results when a child is raised to strive to actually be a good man or good woman. We need to hear about the kind of father who lovingly institutes and models self-discipline and accountability for bad actions. We need to hear about the kind of father who cares enough to accept being very unpopular within the walls of his own home for insisting upon doing the next right thing! We need to hear about those kinds of fathers as a solution to what ails us, our communities, and our nation.
Here are some questions I’d be interested to know about the 665 unjust murders in Chicago last year:
Did the known suspect have a father in the home?
Did the father have a criminal record?
Where no father was present, how many men lived with or frequently visited the mother in that home? (Access and influence over the child)
Did those men have criminal records?
Why? We don’t have a problem with law-abiding citizens. We have all kinds of major problems with unjust “criminal” aggressors. We have a problem with the breakdown of the family. To excel children need to learn the importance of self-discipline. Young men crave discipline so desperately that they will even look to the harsh disciplines of a gang to fill this need. If you think that’s fantasy, send me an email via the contact page and I’ll share lessons learned from an advanced gang course presented by officers working in the Chicago metropolitan area. In short, young men have a need for a father who strives to be a good man. If the men who come in and out of their lives sow bad ideas then those bad ideas will bounce around in that child’s mind and when temptation gives way to action… Here’s a quote that pretty much says it all:
“Sow a thought and you reap an action; sow an act and you reap a habit; sow a habit and you reap a character; sow a character and you reap a destiny.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
In thinking about this legislation a theory began to form in my mind. So I did a little research and noticed a trend. What three states have the largest populous cities? New York, California, and Illinois; in that order. Not counting the metro area; New York city roughly 9 million, Los Angeles about 4 million, and Illinois approximately 3 million. Weird, right? When “we the people” of a state fall into what the Bible calls madness, blindness, and confusion of mind (Dt 28:28), then those 51% begin electing people just like themselves. We might need to move to a state with a “we the people” more in line with our values and beliefs.
If you find yourself taking up the mantle of leadership I’m going to share with you three questions that served me well during my police career as a Sergeant and later as a Lieutenant:
Where am I leading my people?
Can I, should I?
Why now?
First and foremost, am I leading my people towards Heaven or Hell? Am I leading my people towards physical life or physical death? Am I leading my people towards freedom or incarceration? Am I leading my people towards financial stability or bankruptcy? Am I leading my people towards staying in their home or having to move, and begin anew? Good leaders ought to frequently consider this question: Where am I leading my people?
When we begin striving to do the next right thing, at the right time, for the right reason, and in the right way, we will find in our current culture these battlefields will seem at times to compete with one another. What battlefields? There are primarily five battlefields:
Moral Battlefield
Physical Battlefield
Legal Battlefield
Civil Battlefield
Social Battlefield
The first two battlefields are absolutely rock solid with clear underlying fundamental principles that are complementary not contradictory. In 2023 in various places in the United States of America we can observe the latter three battlefields increasingly suffer under the weight of madness, blindness, and confusion of mind (Dt 28:28). At Humilitas First students learn best practices offering the highest probability of winning on all five of the above mentioned battlegrounds. That simply means offering the very best tactics, strategies, and logistics. I don’t recall the exact quotation at this moment but great warriors have acknowledged that those who understand logistics can dominate those who only understand tactics. We need all three: tactics, strategy, and logistics.
There is a massive crisis in leadership today! A crisis in leadership soon leads to a crisis in craftsmanship! We have so few craftsmen today because we have so few good leaders today. We have a mess.
Secondly, just because I can do something doesn’t mean I ought to do that thing. Leaders ought to frequently place infinitely more weight upon the should I? Can I, should I? The should trumps the can. The mantra; Yes we can! Is a wee bit insane. Madness, blindness, and confusion of mind (Dt 28: 28).
Thirdly, leaders ought to ask themselves the question: Why now? This falls within: right time. When it comes to legitimate self-defense or defense of another we have to first acquire the knowledge base for principles like action beats reaction. There are definitely times when immediate action is the first priority of that moment! This is why it’s so important to do the work of building in a trained response as part of immediate action drills. If it needs to happen right now – then do it! However, there are strategies to avoid most of our problems. It’s common that through ego, ignorance, or complacency we tend to bring problems upon ourselves. At Humilitas First students learn how to avoid the vast majority of violent encounters. Students also learn the tactics, strategies, and logistics associated with the highest probabilities of winning when the violent confrontation cannot be avoided. Keep these three questions near the forefront of your mind. If you’re a Catholic ask your guardian angel to remind you of these questions.
Anyone can tell you how much they care about you. Talk is mighty cheap for a human being. When a test comes we all find out just how much you care. How does a test come for men sitting in leadership seats? The test comes when there’s a perceived personal cost threatening that leader’s wealth, power, honor, or pleasure. When that man perceives a risk to his wealth, power, honor, or pleasures we will all find out what he’s made of. I believe it was Saint Thomas Aquinas who provided the above listed four things we tend to elevate into false idols, fake little gods. As human beings our fallen nature tends towards extremes. We have a problem with balance. We have a problem with attachments.
At the very moment doing the next right thing could affect your position and salary your people get to observe you enter into a test. Is it about you – or is it for your people? I submit authentic leadership is for your people! Titles often mean authority. Another word for authority is power. What do you do with the power? Do you use the power for yourself or for your people? In my opinion, authority properly understood means responsibility. A responsibility for those whom you’ve been given the authority to lead. Are you seeing a pattern here? Authentic leadership is for your people! Honor has much to do with what other people think of you. Those who are overly attached to the opinions of men need to either find a way to detach from their fears or anxieties associated with honor; or step down and let someone else lead. That is not an option within the right structure of a family. If you’re the father of a family do not rest until you detach from the fear of human respect. Lay waste to the idea of instant gratification and throttle down on the idea of delayed satisfaction. Pleasure is probably the most difficult temptation to overcome.
“More Souls Go To HELL Because Of The Sins Of The Flesh Than For Any Other Reason.”
Mary, Mother of God @Fatima
When I think about this temptation as it relates to authentic leadership I can’t help but think of a certain kind of lifestyle. A lifestyle which elevates a man by means of all four of these things: wealth, power, pleasure, and honors. The temptation to rationalize or self-justify would loom large because we’ll be tempted to weigh how doing that next right hard thing could affect our wife and children – our family. A correct way of desiring a leadership position is with a wee bit of apprehension knowing that at the end of this life we’re all going to have to answer for everything we said and did and failed to say and do. In Luke chapter 12 we recall the words: Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.
One common rationalization is the idea that our silence will enable us to carry on the overall mission making a difference for those whom God sends us. I think this is true up to a point. Prudence is most definitely a good thing so long as we don’t use it as an excuse to preserve our own wealth, power, pleasure, and honors. A quote purportedly from Edmund Burke says:
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”
Evil is a liar! Evil will tell you it merely desires a seat at the table. Once it acquires that seat then it seeks to rape and murder everyone else at the table only to end by sitting the whole house on fire.
What’s the solution? The hardest direction to lead is to lead up. Providing your house doesn’t conduct itself like a permissive parent you can lead down quite easily through discipline, actual accountability, and consequences for bad behaviors. How do we lead up? This probably should be a whole different post but the secret if there is one is all relationships are built upon trust. So the subordinate must convey to the boss that he has that bosses best interest in mind. While his suggestions on next right things may seem painful for the boss to hear, the subordinate articulates specifically how a bad choice will blow up in his bosses face. The bottom line here is the solution is to tell the truth: ‘Horse, here is some water. Water is good for you. Please drink the good water.’ You then leave the person free to go their own way. If their decision is immoral, unethical, or illegal then depending upon your duty you take that next right moral, ethical, or legal action that your position demands. You willingly accept the sufferings that duty brings with it.
If you find yourself in a leadership seat realize that when a test comes your people are going to find you out! No amount of sentimental words will ever make up for bad actions. You want the mantle of leadership? Prepare for some heavy crosses and a crown of thorns. Pray for the graces to pass the test.
