American All Call
An American Honor Code
By Sam Frescoe,
Veteran’s Recall
http://veterans-recall.blogspot.com/
If Americans had an honor code,
then what would it be?
“There are two parts to
being honorable,
one believing in it, and two living up to it.” - David Wilkie, 1988 Honor Chairman
one believing in it, and two living up to it.” - David Wilkie, 1988 Honor Chairman
Honor Code
Having an honor code is
critical. An honor code is a framework of absolutes that dictate honorable
conduct regardless of circumstance. They serve as the internal compass for all
situations, large or small, complex or simple. The honor code is absolute and
not negotiable.
If Americans had a common sense
of honor, then how might that sense be expressed? The task is daunting. How to
form a simply stated, easy to internalize, “day-to-day” practical, always
applicable code of honorable conduct for all Americans? For help, I turned to
those institutions that are served by America’s premier thinkers and
philosophers on the subject of honor, America’s military academies.
Each academy has an honor code.
While each code is different, they have common threads. Future Air Force
officers are taught that “We will not lie, steal, or cheat, nor tolerate among
us anyone who does.” Future Army officers personalize their code: “A cadet will
not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do.” The Navy prescribes an honor
concept: Stand for what is right. Do not lie. Do not cheat. Do not steal. The
Marine Corps takes an expanded approach – Honor: Integrity, Responsibility,
Accountability; Courage: Do the right thing, in the right way, for the right
reasons; Commitment: Devotion to the Corps and my fellow Marines.
Common threads, whether stated
or implied, are easy to see. The following things are wrong: lying, cheating,
stealing, and toleration of those wrongs. The following things are right:
knowing what is right, doing what is right, and loyalty. Perhaps we can now
begin to answer the original question?
If Americans had an honor code,
then what would it be? I propose the following.
I will not lie, steal, cheat, nor tolerate those that do.
I will seek what is right, do what is right, and stand by those who do
right.
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