As a current member of the Navy, the point this drives home for me is that I don't serve so that I can represent my country. My country is a republic based upon timeless values that philosophers have debated for ages, and my service to those ideals is not so that someone will bestow honor unto me. It is my duty and honor that I bestow upon others. I serve my elected government and its democratic institutions, and in so doing, I represent the names of those who lead me.
As a democracy with a strong military, we have to know what is more important, the democracy. With that in mind, there are reasons that the names on our ships usually come from political leaders, not sailors. These ships show up in foreign ports to represent that America is there to protect both our interests and their interests. If our allies were to pull into an American port, would you rather them arrive in a ship named after a diplomatic or political leader or someone who died in battle against your people? Keep in mind that in order to have thousands of brave warriors die in battle, we must be fighting someone. If we are to eventually befriend the country we once fought, would it be wise to remind them that we defeated them at the cost of the blood the spilt every time we arrive in their ports?
It is true that Ms. Giffords may not be the kind of hero that we expect to place on the side of a ship. She did not courageously fall in battle or lead us to a great victory. She suffered a horrible attack at home with no known foreign intervention. That being said, she represents her part of America, and naming a ship after her reminds all of us serving who we serve—the American people and its strong democracy.
Please continue this discussion without involving politics.
