THE LOSS OF HONOR

Attending a High School graduation a few years ago was an eye opener. Before it began there was a strong plea for honoring the dignity of the event and keeping order during the ceremony. I thought it sounded draconian, even ridiculous, until the event started and I saw what followed. Simply stated, it became loud, rude, out of control, open mayhem. The next couple of hours went from what I considered fairly normal, to bad, to worse, then to far worse than I could have imagined.

After the seemingly overdone announcement regarding the dignity of the event, things went pretty much as one might imagine. Students and faculty marched into the great auditorium in their caps and gowns to the pomp and Circumstance of “The Graduation March” a tune I knew and expected. Composed by Sir Edward Elgar but named for a verse in Othello, March No. 1 in D minor, has become a clarion call to dignity and honor in one of the most significant moments of life. And, so it was that day.

During the march, there were a few hollers from the crowd that seemed tame enough. A few of the students took advantage of this unique opportunity to act out a bit, but this too is normal and all in good fun of course. After that, there were a few speeches and of course, the special academic honors. But trouble was already brewing. It was not so much the graduates, it was the families and friends.

As the diplomas were passed out, the crowd completely ignored the earlier instructions to remain quiet and became increasingly boisterous. The parents, friends and families of the graduates dishonored the dignity of the event and created an environment of competition rather than collective celebration. I felt so bad for the graduates who had little family or friends present. I also felt bad for the students that had worked very hard and had taken this process seriously, only to see it devolve into chaotic pandemonium.

I suppose the last couple of decades of helicopter parenting, Political Correctness nannying from ever-intrusive national, state and local government and forced honoring such as “Participation Trophies” has caught up with us. The issue of honor is in a very fragile condition in modern culture. Synonyms for honor such as: “respect, give value, cherish” help us see the problem, people who constantly demand these things for themselves are ill-equipped to offer it to others. Honor is more a principle than a code. Honor is not a rule; it is a culture. The societal breakdown of respect for others we see in our present-day culture is rooted in selfishness and a lack of honor for God and His ways.

In my view, demanding honor rather than earning it is harmful to individuals and to our collective character as a nation. Forced honor is worthless.

Perhaps I am just a spoilsport, but I feel like I lost something that graduation day. Frankly, we all did, especially those who never even noticed something was amiss.