Competing headlines

One forgets who made the original quotation about English valor having been derived from the playing fields of Eton. This is the only competition I could find this week. On one side of the earth we watched the winter Olympics at Vancouver. On the other, near Kabul in Afghanistan, where U.S. Marine Corps and NATA troops engaged in deadly combat.

In Canada, there will play this week the greatest collection of finely-trained athletes on the planet. Their goal is the gold medal and the new record for the world to marvel at. In Asia, the story of military might will play another chapter of sadness and alarm.

The stark difference is the fact that unintended consequences for the competing athlete is failure --- the only recourse being to try, try again. The wages of defeat is too often death or maiming disability in the military situation. Aye, there's the rub. The combat soldier seeks victory, not for glory or gold, but to get some needed sleep and a good meal. ("Been there, done that!")

From an Etonian Headmaster came the elements of sportsmanship and fair play which will indeed influence the British officers-to-be in Victorian time and culture, but it happened that they were to be the toughest in battles. And the fair-playing "Tommies" they led were simply fierce. One applauds the competing sports participants and deplores the warrior's sacrifice hopeful in linking it to a better outcome for mankind. One may still be thankful for whatever surcease from war these full weeks may bring us --- and forgive us, Lord, if we rejoice when men are dying --- for any cause at all.