Teach
01-24-2017, 08:54 AM
“What’ll you have?” our waitress asked. “I’ll have the veal parm with spaghetti,” I replied.
I was sitting at a table in an Italian restaurant. I was seated across from my long-time friend, Nick.
Well, after the waitress had taken our orders, Nick and I engaged in small talk. At the time, I was teaching high school history. Nick, for his part, had just come back from a town in Northern Virginia called Warrenton.
As we waited for our waitress to come back with our entrees, we started talking about our families. I remember Nick saying how much he missed his wife and children.
Well, it was then that I asked, “How are things going at the Central Intelligence Agency?” I recall that at that moment, just as soon as I had uttered the words, “Central Intelligence Agency,” Nick stared across the table at me. His fixated glance was unsettling. It was then that I asked, “Nick, is there something wrong?” Nick then said in a hushed, but emphatic tone, “Walt, don’t ever say the words ‘Central Intelligence Agency’ or even the initials ‘C.I.A.’ in my presence.” He added, “You may think what I’m going to say is “nuts”. That I’m crazy. Paranoid. “But,” he continued, “there are people out there who would want to do me harm, even kill me, that is if they knew what I did and for whom I’m working.” I’m not,” he added, “exaggerating, Walt. This is reality. The reality of working for a government intelligence agency.” Nick concluded, “If for some reason, you need to ask me about the C.I.A, and we’re out in public, just say the words ‘The Agency’”.
That evening as we ate our meals and sipped on glasses of Chianti, Nick gave me a brief overview about what he did at “The Agency”. In hindsight, he couldn’t tell me very much because, as he subtly put it, “There are many things that are not for public disclosure.”
Well, as I was driving home from the restaurant that evening, Nick’s comments gave me pause for thought. Before that evening I hadn’t any idea of the dangers inherent in working for our U.S. intelligence community. I also gained a greater appreciation of the sacrifices made by and the dangers inherent in that type of work. That, on a daily basis, the members of the U.S. intelligence community put their lives on the line to keep America safe.
That’s why, recently, I was appalled at the carefree demeanor of our President as he addressed members of the C.I.A this past Saturday. To think that the President of the United States, standing in front of a memorial wall that lovingly remembers 117 dedicated C.I.A. agents who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to this country, could banter about such meaningless, self-aggrandizing topics is beyond my imagination. Frankly, I believe, that under those circumstances, the President’s approach was totally inappropriate. Yes, I’ll say it, they were shameful. Would DJT have talked about his inauguration numbers at a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery?
Further, why is our Commander-in-Chief, during his visit to C.I.A. Agency headquarters in Langley, VA, addressing the agents about the number of time he’s appeared on the cover of national magazines? For the life of me… Then, the President airs his “dirty linen” with the news media. His inference was that the “dishonest” media was to blame for his rift with the intelligence community. The “Master Projectionist” is at it, again.
Further, I agree with former C.I.A. Director, John Brennan, “…that Trump should be ashamed of himself. It’s all about his self-aggrandizement. “Me.” “Me.” “Me.”
Furthermore, who gives a rat’s derriere how many people in that room voted for Donald Trump (“I’m not going to ask you to raise your hands”). You’ve got to be kidding me. Talk about insecurity. Furthermore, on that visit to Langley, the first words out of POTUS’s mouth should have been, “Thank you for your dedicated service to our country.”
At the conclusion of his remarks, President Trump tells C.I.A. agents: “I love you. I respect you…” Frankly, when I heard those words, I shook my head. Those kind of comments are usually saved for time where one wishes to assuage one’s wife or lover, maybe over some kind of dispute or even infidelity, but not - under those circumstances - to C.I.A. agents. President Trump then added, “We’re going to start winning again, and you’re going to start leading the charge.” Teddy Roosevelt, where are you?
At this juncture, let me state that my critique is constructive. I hope that Donald Trump grows into the job as President of The United States. My comments have nothing to do with the fact that I am a Democrat, with a capital “D” and a democrat, with a small “d”. This is not a case of “sour grapes”. In fact, I applaud some of President Trump’s early EOs, e.g., TTF, government bloat, etc. This not about policy, it’s about refinement.
In conclusion, I believe we’d all concur that becoming The President of The United States is serious business. I’m sure we also realize that this is not some beauty pageant or reality show. Further, I believe that the comments of The President of the U.S. when spoken, in public, must be both carefully crafted and appropriate for the circumstances, whether he’s speaking with foreign heads of state or, as we most recently witnessed, at “The Agency”.
I was sitting at a table in an Italian restaurant. I was seated across from my long-time friend, Nick.
Well, after the waitress had taken our orders, Nick and I engaged in small talk. At the time, I was teaching high school history. Nick, for his part, had just come back from a town in Northern Virginia called Warrenton.
As we waited for our waitress to come back with our entrees, we started talking about our families. I remember Nick saying how much he missed his wife and children.
Well, it was then that I asked, “How are things going at the Central Intelligence Agency?” I recall that at that moment, just as soon as I had uttered the words, “Central Intelligence Agency,” Nick stared across the table at me. His fixated glance was unsettling. It was then that I asked, “Nick, is there something wrong?” Nick then said in a hushed, but emphatic tone, “Walt, don’t ever say the words ‘Central Intelligence Agency’ or even the initials ‘C.I.A.’ in my presence.” He added, “You may think what I’m going to say is “nuts”. That I’m crazy. Paranoid. “But,” he continued, “there are people out there who would want to do me harm, even kill me, that is if they knew what I did and for whom I’m working.” I’m not,” he added, “exaggerating, Walt. This is reality. The reality of working for a government intelligence agency.” Nick concluded, “If for some reason, you need to ask me about the C.I.A, and we’re out in public, just say the words ‘The Agency’”.
That evening as we ate our meals and sipped on glasses of Chianti, Nick gave me a brief overview about what he did at “The Agency”. In hindsight, he couldn’t tell me very much because, as he subtly put it, “There are many things that are not for public disclosure.”
Well, as I was driving home from the restaurant that evening, Nick’s comments gave me pause for thought. Before that evening I hadn’t any idea of the dangers inherent in working for our U.S. intelligence community. I also gained a greater appreciation of the sacrifices made by and the dangers inherent in that type of work. That, on a daily basis, the members of the U.S. intelligence community put their lives on the line to keep America safe.
That’s why, recently, I was appalled at the carefree demeanor of our President as he addressed members of the C.I.A this past Saturday. To think that the President of the United States, standing in front of a memorial wall that lovingly remembers 117 dedicated C.I.A. agents who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to this country, could banter about such meaningless, self-aggrandizing topics is beyond my imagination. Frankly, I believe, that under those circumstances, the President’s approach was totally inappropriate. Yes, I’ll say it, they were shameful. Would DJT have talked about his inauguration numbers at a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery?
Further, why is our Commander-in-Chief, during his visit to C.I.A. Agency headquarters in Langley, VA, addressing the agents about the number of time he’s appeared on the cover of national magazines? For the life of me… Then, the President airs his “dirty linen” with the news media. His inference was that the “dishonest” media was to blame for his rift with the intelligence community. The “Master Projectionist” is at it, again.
Further, I agree with former C.I.A. Director, John Brennan, “…that Trump should be ashamed of himself. It’s all about his self-aggrandizement. “Me.” “Me.” “Me.”
Furthermore, who gives a rat’s derriere how many people in that room voted for Donald Trump (“I’m not going to ask you to raise your hands”). You’ve got to be kidding me. Talk about insecurity. Furthermore, on that visit to Langley, the first words out of POTUS’s mouth should have been, “Thank you for your dedicated service to our country.”
At the conclusion of his remarks, President Trump tells C.I.A. agents: “I love you. I respect you…” Frankly, when I heard those words, I shook my head. Those kind of comments are usually saved for time where one wishes to assuage one’s wife or lover, maybe over some kind of dispute or even infidelity, but not - under those circumstances - to C.I.A. agents. President Trump then added, “We’re going to start winning again, and you’re going to start leading the charge.” Teddy Roosevelt, where are you?
At this juncture, let me state that my critique is constructive. I hope that Donald Trump grows into the job as President of The United States. My comments have nothing to do with the fact that I am a Democrat, with a capital “D” and a democrat, with a small “d”. This is not a case of “sour grapes”. In fact, I applaud some of President Trump’s early EOs, e.g., TTF, government bloat, etc. This not about policy, it’s about refinement.
In conclusion, I believe we’d all concur that becoming The President of The United States is serious business. I’m sure we also realize that this is not some beauty pageant or reality show. Further, I believe that the comments of The President of the U.S. when spoken, in public, must be both carefully crafted and appropriate for the circumstances, whether he’s speaking with foreign heads of state or, as we most recently witnessed, at “The Agency”.