CREDIT WHERE IT'S DUE – AT 8:55 A.M. ET:  We give credit where it's due here, regardless of party, so we're happy to join Bill Kristol and other conservatives in praising the eloquent speech given by President Obama before the American Legion, in which the president paid tribute to the 9/11 generation of American military men and women:

"Today, as we near this solemn anniversary, it's fitting that we salute the extraordinary decade of service rendered by the 9/11 Generation-the more than five million Americans who have worn the uniform over the past ten years. They were there, on duty, that September morning, having enlisted in a time of peace, but they instantly transitioned to a war-footing. They're the millions of recruits who have stepped forward since, seeing their nation at war and saying "send me." They're every single Soldier, Sailor, Airman, Marine and Coast Guardsman serving today, who has volunteered to serve in a time of war, knowing they could be sent into harm's way....

"A generation of innovators, they've changed the way America fights and wins its wars. Raised in the age of the Internet, they've harnessed new technologies on the battlefield. They've learned the cultures, traditions and languages of the places they've served. Trained to fight, they've taken on the role of diplomats, mayors and development experts, negotiating with tribal sheikhs, working with village shuras, and partnering with communities. Young captains, sergeants and lieutenants have assumed responsibilities once reserved for more senior commanders, reminding us that in an era when so many other institutions have shirked their obligations, the men and women of the United States military welcome responsibility.

"In a decade of war, they have borne an extraordinary burden, with more than two million of our service members deploying to the warzones. Hundreds of thousands have deployed again and again, year after year. Never before has our nation asked so much of our all-volunteer force-that one percent of Americans who wears the uniform..."

COMMENT:  In each generation, the elders express skepticism about the young ones.  Are they good enough?  Will they meet the challenge?  Frankly, since the 1960s, it's been rather easy to be skeptical. 

But the fact is that, especially in America's heartland, we still have young people with excellent values who are willing to put themselves on the line for their country.  Even a corrupt educational system has not deterred them.  Even the ridicule they often receive from "sophisticates" has not held them back.

We wish the rest of President Obama's policies were as supportive of the military that his speech was.  But the speech is a good start.  To carry out the spirit of that speech, he might examine some of the appointments he's made to his administration, like Samantha Power, or some of the foolish things he's done, like compromising the space program or refusing to develop domestic energy resources. 

Occasionally he strikes the right tone, and he did in his American Legion speech.

August 31, 2011