Dembow: Reflecting on duty, honor & country as Veterans Day approaches

Gilbert Wang was the principal at Madison No. 1 Elementary School when I was growing up.

During assemblies he would stand up and recite “Duty, Honor, Country” with the Star Spangled Banner playing in the background.

We would stand and say the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag with our hands held over our hearts.

When I grew up, many of my teachers were World War II veterans who knew what they were fighting for and how wonderful our republic was compared to nazi Germany.

We all knew it!

This is why I am in shock as I watch the same people who support the right of athletes to take a knee during the Star Spangled Banner go silent as China dictates them to not say a word about the democracy protests in Hong Kong. Talk about intellectual dishonesty.

The National Basketball Association going silent and instructing players not to speak up in support of democracy.

Google and Apple both removing applications that allow the protesters to see where the military and police are located to give them safety.

All following revenue as their moral compass.

Nike has Colin Kaepernick as one of their paid endorsers. When Kaepernick saw a sneaker with the Betsy Ross flag embroidered on it, he was offended, so Nike pulled it from the market.

Where is Kaepernick’s outrage over the protesters in Hong Kong being shot and beaten? Does the money cat have his tongue?

It is shameful to watch as the president is trying to make a better trade deal with China, and the companies that would benefit from this supporting communist rule to keep revenue numbers and market access.

The support by these companies for the Chinese government over the democracy movement is supporting values that are diametrically opposed to our system of government and one that the executives at these companies would not want to live under.

I guess, “Do as we say” or “Do as the Chinese government tells us” are the watchwords for many global corporate boards.

Money is moral. Values would hurt share prices.

Thinking back to my childhood and “Duty, Honor, Country,” I wonder how the educational system and our society can produce corporate leaders who rail against “social injustice” but turn a blind eye to communists killing people wanting a free democratic society.

I hope these folks reflect the sacrifices our veterans have made and wake up.

Please join the Town of Paradise Valley honoring our veterans at the Paradise Valley 15th Annual Veteran’s Car Show Nov. 9 from 8 a.m. to noon at Town Hall, located at 6401 E. Lincoln Drive.

There will be 150 beautiful cars that you won’t see at the auctions coming up this January and some old military vehicles too!

There is no cost to attend.

Editor’s Note: Paul Dembow is a Paradise Valley Town Council member.