In the search for veracity in the idiom “country before party,” this blog is addressed to the current Chief of Staff serving at the President’s pleasure.  There are no creative words in the mind’s eye that will assist the process of this blog reaching, let alone penetrate the addressee’s mindset. As was true with  “A Tweet to the Speaker of the House” Aug 16, 2017, and  “A Tweet for the President of the United States” Feb 6, 2017. Therefore this blog is strictly for going on the record.  Mr. John Kelly, sir, and with all due respect for your service to our country.  As the occupancies of a free society, we are free to say whatever choices of words we want.  But we are not free from the penalties of those words.  Despite best intentions, there are times in which one can become careless in their choice of expressions, e.g., empty barrel.  But in politics, words can lead to dire consequences, and personality clashes have become the hallmark of divisiveness. It has now been a few months since stating you would not apologize for the false attacks you leveled against Rep. Frederica S. Wilson (D-Fla.) as you sought to defend the President for his handling of a condolence call. However, in your case, your silence has been golden, with the incident fading into oblivion, but I can not accept the nostalgia of letting it die a quiet death.

As a military veteran of more than twenty  years, my allegiance has always been country before a party with a belief in the “no soldier left behind the motto.”   In my heart of heart’s feelings, I do not believe things in our great nation will ever get better when divisive politics is the status quo.  This blog is not a political stance, just a public avowal of principles with a cause-and-effect statement.  You may not see it, but because of your principles, you have dismissed Representative Wilson to the status of irrelevancy. She is a soldier in her own right, a public servant, and slighted into a virtual left-behindness.  It takes tremendous courage to say I was wrong.  You have seemingly brought stability to the White House.  However, either there is a tarmac of infallibility in your acquired politics with your short tenor, or you have the “I am a General syndrome,”  i.e.,  admitting wrong carries the indignation of weakness.  Regardless, retiring as a General or, like me, as a senior enlisted, there comes the inevitable culture shock. Civilians don’t respond as military subordinates do, with ideologies and stigmas becoming barricades within mindsets. With that said, and knowing the chances of you seeing this blog are slim to none, I apologize for you to her.  Representative Wilson not only deserves it, but I am sure she desires it as a human being.