Doug Cartland's Four-Minute Leadership Advisory
Authenticity
 Doug Cartland
Doug Cartland, Inc.
11/10/2015

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What does it do to you when you believe in someone's authenticity only to find your faith was misplaced? 
Since the mistreatment of our military servicemen and women after the Viet Nam War, we've learned to celebrate our soldiers, sailors and fly men/women. This has been especially true since 9/11.
Sporting events have been particularly enthusiastic. You cannot find a made for TV athletic happening that's not decked out in red, white and blue.
We've got the Star Spangled Banner sung heartily by somebody, of course, and God Bless America many times too. We've got the Blue Angels soaring and roaring overhead and flags the size of football fields.
In addition, we've got each branch of the military represented and marching. We've got touching homecomings shown for all to see and we've made a public spectacle of honoring the dead and wounded.
Every war and every age of soldier is given deference to at one time or another.
Now, if you think I have a problem with the celebration of our soldiers, believe me I don't. These courageous defenders of life as we know it deserve every thanks and every honor that we can give them.
A few years ago, though, something began to feel unseemly to me about all of these boisterous public displays. I didn't want to dishonor our best, I almost felt guilty for my growing hesitancy, but I was increasingly uneasy about this continued bombardment of military patriotism.
It just seemed like sports leagues and athletic teams were getting a lot of mileage out of these exhibitions. I felt like they were using our soldiers indecorously as a marketing tool, while manipulating our emotions for their gain. It seemed a little too heartwarming, a little too snugly, a little too convenient, a little too constant. I questioned the genuineness of it all.
Last week I found out I was right to question. And it made me ill.
Turns out that much of that displayed patriotism had been bought and paid for. Branches of the military were paying sports teams to honor their soldiers at their events.
Many of these shows of military nationalism were not put on because of these team's genuine love of country, but instead to make a buck. And the military wasn't waiting to be honored by genuine hearts, they were buying honor. As if one can.
After investigating, a report was released by Senators Jeff Flake and John McCain detailing these schemes. I was sickened to my core. A pit in my stomach.
The report said it better than I can, I suppose:
"By paying for such heartwarming displays like recognition of wounded warriors, surprise homecomings, and on-field enlistment ceremonies, these displays lost their luster.
"Unsuspecting audience members became the subjects of paid-marketing campaigns rather than simply bearing witness to teams' authentic, voluntary shows of support for the brave men and women who wear our nation's uniform.
"This not only betrays the sentiment and trust of fans, but casts an unfortunate shadow over the genuine patriotic partnerships that do so much for our troops..."
I would never begrudge branches of the military advertising themselves. They can buy and run commercials to their heart's content, "be all that you can be" and all that. But we should know a commercial when we see one.
Marketing under the guise of spontaneous authenticity is sick. These soldiers were used, as were our sentiments.
Paid for patriotism is not patriotism. Paid for honor is not honor.
And right words insincerely delivered have ill effect.   
Certainly we as leaders know that, right?
After all, how would you feel if you found out that every time the president of the United States publicly saluted his troops he was paid for it?
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Doug

 

Doug Cartland, President
Doug Cartland, Inc.

 

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