Bridget Jones laments at the start of her hilarious diary the unfairness of having to "snap into self-discipline like lean teenage greyhounds," after the holidays, and yet our tradition is to make resolutions for improvement in the coming year. Somehow, I fear the Obama administration might still be too busy labeling as "unprecedented" their activity from 2009 for the task of inventorying areas for self-improvement, so here are two suggestions for their consideration:
Stop treating veterans as victims.* It's important for the president to visit wounded warriors at Walter Reed and other military medical centers, and to grieve when caskets arrive at Dover. As commander in chief, it is crucial he feel the weight of his responsibility for putting Americans in harm's way. But too often this president treats veterans as though they are all mentally or physically shattered, when many emerge from the challenges stronger in their character, stronger in their faith, and stronger contributors to our society.
