Posted on 07/10/2010 5:57:48 AM PDT by Congressman Billybob
“Important” events happened recently to two women. The relative attention paid and press coverage about the two tells a lot about where we are as a nation, and it isn’t good. The two women are Lindsay Lohan and Pam Murphy.
All of you know that Lindsay Lohan is a spoiled, self-centered, self-destructive twit who was just sentenced to 90 days in jail for multiple instances of contempt of court. But how many of you know who Pam Murphy was? Let’s not always see the same hands.
Pam Murphy was the widow of Audie Murchy, the most decorated US soldier from WW II. Here is how an article in Veterans Today on 10 April, 2010, described her:
“After Audie died, they all became her boys. Every last one of them.
“Any soldier or Marine who walked into the Sepulveda VA hospital and care center in the last 35 years got the VIP treatment from Pam Murphy.
“The widow of Audie Murphy – the most decorated soldier in World War II – would walk the hallways with her clipboard in hand making sure her boys got to see a specialist or doctor — STAT. If they didn’t, watch out.
“Her boys weren’t Medal of Honor recipients or movie stars like Audie, but that didn’t matter to Pam. They had served their country. That was good enough for her.
“She never called a veteran by his first name. It was always “Mister.” Respect came with the job.”
“ ‘Nobody could cut through VA red tape faster than Mrs. Murphy,’ said veteran Stephen Sherman, speaking for thousands of veterans she befriended over the years.
“ ‘Many times I watched her march a veteran who had been waiting more than an hour right into the doctor’s office. She was even reprimanded a few times, but it didn’t matter to Mrs. Murphy.’
“ ‘Only her boys mattered. She was our angel.’ ”
For that whole article, go here: http://www.veteranstoday.com/2010/04/16/pam-murphy-widow-of-actor-audie-murphy-was-veterans-friend-and-advocate/
The simple truth is that Pam Murphy did more for her “boys,” and through them for all of America, before lunch on any day of her 90 years, than Lindsay Lohan did for anyone, anytime. And yet, Lohan’s sniveling before the judge got wall-to-wall press coverage, but the death of a great and dedicated woman passed almost unnoticed.
Consider how much better our press would be, our nation would be, our lives would be, if the life of Pam Murphy had been covered and celebrated like the Lohan court hearing. And the contrary is true, what if the Lohan hearing had been covered in a few lines back in the papers next to the pet obituaries?
I spend much of my time reading about the Framers, their lives, their philosophies, their times, and their works. Occasionally people say to me, “Those were unique times. We couldn’t find a collection of Washington, Franklin, Jefferson, Adams, and so on, today.” To that I answer, yes we can. But we can’t find them where the originals were found, in Congress.
Can anyone recite the names of the current leaders of Congress alongside of the leaders of Congress when the Declaration of Independence was passed and signed, without sardonic tears?
Yet, here is proof that America still generates leaders of the vision and caliber of the Framers, and of Pam Murphy. These are three Americans I’ve had the privilege of knowing and working with over the years. I’ll match any and all of them up with any of the Framers, beginning with John and Abigail Adams. See if you agree:
Dr. Thomas Sowell. The late Dr. Jeane Kirkpatrick. The late Dr. Milton Friedman. If any of these names are unfamiliar to you, I won’t attempt to explain such extraordinary people in a sentence or two. Look them up. Get into their writings. See whether you agree that people of the quality of the Framers yet live and work among us.
Then ask why our press is filled with trivialities, and void of the greatness that America actually possesses. That’s what I thought of this week, when I contemplated the vast gulf between Lindsay Lohan and Pam Murphy, this week.
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About the Author: John Armor practiced before the Supreme Court for 33 years. John_Armor@aya,yale.edu His latest book, to appear in September, is on Thomas Paine. www.TheseAreTheTimes.us
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If you visit the North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro, NC, it's available in a little book store called "Daniel's Read-A-Lot." Don't know about other places, but it's a delightful book of stories about real women whose heroism is/was notable, and includes some famous ones, such as the wife of James Madison, and many other revolutionary figures. King is a great historian and entertaining story teller.
Nice piece of writing, Congressman.My comment is that celebrities exist only in journalism. If you aren't paying attention to journalism, then for you their celebrity doesn't exist.
And journalists are celebrities just as Lindsey Lohan is a celebrity. Each individual journalist has to stay in the herd to remain a celebrity.
I enjoyed it very much. (It was included in my Grasstops USA daily email.)
“Aww, maaannn, I’m gonna go to jail for three days! *sob* *sniff*”
PING!
Pam Murphy rules.
Lindsey Looozer drools.
Excellent and timely post as always. BTTT.
And another thing:
I think that Lindsey’s cute, but I’d only date her if she had a lobotomy first.
RIP, Mrs. Murphy.
Well done!
Thanks for posting this FRiend.
Excellent, Congressman Billybob! Well spoken!
ping
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