I wonder about how much being a black man in a white Republican old boys administration eroded his inner compass and courage. I do not revile him but he survived his mistake. Would the war have never happened if not for him, heck no, he would have been discarded, so I can't believe in my heart that his failure of conscience and personsl will significantly changed the fates of those who then perished. On a spiritual level though, will he have to account for this mistake? We don't know, and our beliefs vary.
Reading through this discussion about Colin Powell and all I could think was:
FEET OF CLAY - "The phrase comes from the Old Testament (Dan.2:31-32). There the Hebrew captain Daniel interprets a dream for Nebuchadnezzar, founder of the new Babylonian Empire. Nebuchadnezzar had dreamed of a giant idol with golden head, silver arms and chest, brass thighs and body, and iron legs. Only the feet of this image, compounded of iron and potter's clay, weren't made wholly of metal. Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar that the clay feet of the figure made it vulnerable, that it prophesized the breaking apart of his empire. Over the years readers of the Bible were struck with the phrase 'feet of clay' in the story and it was used centuries ago to describe an unexpected flaw or vulnerable point in the character of a hero or any admired person."
I wonder about how much being a black man in a white Republican old boys administration eroded his inner compass and courage. I do not revile him but he survived his mistake. Would the war have never happened if not for him, heck no, he would have been discarded, so I can't believe in my heart that his failure of conscience and personsl will significantly changed the fates of those who then perished. On a spiritual level though, will he have to account for this mistake? We don't know, and our beliefs vary.
Thank you for bringing that up. Thoughts of him keep lingering in my mind. Â Mostly it feels wrong to judge him. Â In my heart I can't know what he was dealing with. I remember the atmosphere of fear that swept the US back then; there was such a hunger for 9/11 revenge. Â My husband said Powell didn't have the CIA Intelligence to know about the WMD's, Â but I believe he did. Â I was against the war, and like @unkp, I was vocal about it. But I wasn't a public figure. I can only send love to his soul.
Hi, all! This has been great to read. I have been thinking about Powell trying very hard to forgive him but the thing is 'I was just following orders' is not an excuse for being a coward.