Principles or People?

Episode 46:  George

Frank:      There’s one of “those” in camp.

Trapper:    One of “those” Frank?

Hawkeye:    Which one of those “thoses” do you mean?

Frank:    One of those types that don’t like girls.  Get it? Private Weston.  Patient came in this morning, knows some of those guys in his outfit.  I think it’s disgusting.

Hawkeye:    What business is it of yours, Frank?

Frank:      Don’t you understand?  The man is not normal.

Hawkeye:    What’s normal, Frank?

Frank:      Normal is everybody doing the same thing.

Hawkeye and Trapper take a stand against the prejudices of Frank Burns by blackmailing with his own hypocrisy to try and stop him from obtaining a dishonourable discharge for a wounded homosexual soldier recovering at the 4077.

The same-sex marriage debate has exposed the polarised views about homosexuality in Australia, amplifying the need for inclusiveness of all people, despite their sexual orientation or lifestyle choices.  For those leading in an environment where social and spiritual values are at odds on this issue, the challenge of inclusiveness is complicated by the gap that exists between people and principles.  While our principles may differ, we share a common humanity which must define the way we treat people if we are to foster an environment that truly values people in a way that transcends our differences.  Mother Teresa is quoted as saying, "If you judge people, you have no time to love them.”  Jesus demonstrated non-judgemental love for people by leading in the tension between principles and people through a perfect balance of grace and truth that put a higher value on people over principles.  Putting people first allows leaders to openly discuss and debate principles on a foundation of mutual respect instead of prejudice.

Racial Division

Episode 31:  L.I.P.(Local Indigenous Personnel)

Hawkeye:    Fact one – Phil loves Kim and Kim loves Phil, so much so they created fact two – a baby. Phil is being shipped home and wants to take his wife and baby.  Pretty complicated, huh?

Nurse:     And so you had to arrange for a marriage between one of our guys and a gook.

Hawkeye:    What are you trying to tell me?  You don’t care for LIP’s?

Nurse:      Not when they marry our people.

Hawkeye:   “Our people”? Since I’m one of them, who are ”we”?

Nurse:      Whites, silly.

Hawkeye:    Oh, us. Of course. You’re built lieutenant.  You’ve got a body I’d like to take a lifetime getting to know….But somewhere in that luscious chemistry are some pretty unappetising ideas.  I don’t think I can take the mix.  Goodbye Lieutenant Hoffman.

Hawkeye tries to help an enlisted man who wants to marry a Korean local girl who is the mother of his child.  In the process he is confronted by the red tape of the Army and the racist attitudes of a nurse he is trying to get to know.

In an age when political correctness and tolerance are the prevailing ideologies, you would think that colour of skin would no longer be a barrier in social circles or the workplace.  If only that was true!  I have recently interacted with professionals who are new arrivals to Australia from Iran and India who cannot find employment because of their ethnicity. Racial and religious differences continue to divide a society that prides itself on the value of ‘fair go.’  Leaders must face the challenge of digging beneath the facade of tolerance to create an environment of genuine acceptance.  “We can get the new world we want, if we want it enough to abandon our prejudices, every day, everywhere. We can build this world if we practice now what we said we were fighting for” (John Maxwell).