The Medal of Honor

This Monday, October 22, 2007 President Bush for the Nation publicly honored fallen Navy SEAL Mike Murphy by presenting his grieving parents with the Medal of Honor — and privately honored their sacrifice by wearing a dog tag they'd given him moments before.

"He took his deployment personally. He was going after, and his team was going after, the men who planned, plotted against and attacked not only the United States, but the city he loved, New York," said his father. "He knew what he was fighting for."

It is because of the character of men like Lt. Mike Murphy that our children live in safety and businesses prosper in a stable environment. And it is darn well time that we all (businesses included) start standing up like real men and real women for our neighbors like Mike Murphy who stand up for all of us.

For us civilians, please know that the Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed rarely, and when it is, it is bestowed on a member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes himself "…conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States…" Due to its nature, the medal is generally awarded posthumously.

Regrettably, many broadcast media ignored Lt. Murphy and what he did for us and our families. Indeed, without men like him protecting us they would fast be out of business. Yet sadly, many decline to sponsor or publicy the troops out of fear of the very small minority of their customers who cannot separate particular armed conflicts from the troops themselves. More on this lack of faith later.

Proudly, Fox News covered it.

Proudly, Glenn Beck covered it.

Produly, The Factor (O'Reilly, Fox News) has a talking points item on who covered the presentment and who cared not.

Following are some links to stories about Lt. Mike Murphy, so that you may know what men and women do for us and our families:

www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,304278,00.html

www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,303858,00.html

www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=32528

We do not know if there was broadcast coverage (see the O'Reilly talking point memo), by CBS has the story posted here online: http://search.cbsnews.com/?source=cbs&q=%22medal+of+honor%22&x=21&y=13

We cannot locate links to Glenn Beck’s coverage . If you do, please send them to us.

And again, and most most importantly, God Bless Lt. Murphy, may the peace which passeth all understanding be with his mom and dad, and may they know that millions of average people like me ache for them and know what a far above average man he was and life he led.

And now we will rededicate ourselves to showing that we are worthy of his actions.

Martin Boire, Ormond Beach, October 23, 2007