2022年退伍军人节

Living with honor this Veterans Day

A Veterans Day message from Air Force veteran and 密歇根州立大学丹佛 总统 珍妮·戴维森博士.D.

11月. 10, 2022

The theme for 2022年退伍军人节 is “荣誉.” This theme was chosen by the Department of Veteran Affairs to “reflect the military value and tradition of answering the call to duty.”

Just as I wrote last Veterans Day about how we can follow veterans’ lead when it comes to 互相服务, we can also learn from the military’s example when it comes to living with honor.

其中之一 空军的核心价值观, where I served for 10 years, is “Service Before Self.” Members of the Air Force are “expected to have the discipline to follow rules, exhibit self-control and possess respect for the beliefs, 他人的权威和价值.” A不her value is “Integrity First,” which requires us to “do what is right even when no one is looking.”

Unfortunately, we live in a time when Americans have too many examples of 不 respecting the worth of others: our leaders are 越来越多的党派，皇冠官网网站正在见证 政治暴力, 仇恨犯罪 都在上升. A fraying social contract is increasingly threatening our democracy.

在这种时候, choosing to live honorably and demonstrating respect for each other both publicly and privately is more important than ever. 事实上, I believe that tapping into these American values is what will help us weather this societal storm.

At Metropolitan State University of 丹佛, our leaders are developing a set of “fundamentals” that roadrunners can contemplate and live by, one of these is “Treat everyone with dignity and respect.” We want everyone to treat others in a way that honors their self-worth and respects their value as unique individuals, 不管他们的传统如何, 文化, 任期或信仰.

It helps to remember that we all arrive on this planet through no effort of our own. Who our parents are, where we are born, under what circumstances are 不 our choice. We have more control over who we become and how we live our lives, but there is more than meets the eye to every person; that reality influences all of our interactions.

To have honor is to show respect in spite of differences, to answer the call of living in a collective society, 为他人服务. 像走鹃, members of the military come from myriad backgrounds and work together toward common goals and the greater good. I am grateful for the years I spent in uniform where I learned firsthand the power of living with honor in one’s daily life. I am thankful for those veterans who continue to lead by example in living with honor in our communities, 尤其是学生, 教师, staff veterans at 密歇根州立大学丹佛 who have been raising awareness for mental health resources, hosting workshops for veterans dealing with chronic stress, even starting nonprofits to help homeless and at-risk veterans.

Living honorably is a daily commitment we can all strive for. Thank you, veterans, for continuing to model this every day. 

真诚地,

珍妮·戴维森博士.D.
总统