Ripples

As we go through life we cannot help but make ripples in the ocean of time. Even those who have no power or position make a difference in the lives of others, and that difference may reverberate to make an even greater impact. This week the death of three leaders filled the news, Gerald R. Ford, James Brown and Saddam Hussein. Interestingly all three men had been abandoned by their birth fathers early in life, and all came from humble beginnings, not born into families of power or wealth. Yet each of these men became known throughout the world and their death is a major news story. Each made not just a ripple in time, but a splash that has affected millions of lives and changed history.

It seems strange to talk about these men in the same post since they have little in common except for their prominence and their time of death. The contrasts between their lives seem to vastly overshadow any commonality. Yet, I cannot help but wonder how they came to make a splash instead of just a ripple. What was it about them that made people follow them?

I find President Ford’s position easier to understand than the other two. He lived what to most of us was an exemplary life. He was the all American boy, hard working, faithful, kind and loving, the kind of guy you would want for a friend. He studied hard, was a good father and husband, and embraced and exemplified the values that most of us hold dear. He did not seek the position that gave him his great fame or influence, but handled leadership with humility and great wisdom. I can understand why the people of Michigan chose him to represent them for so many years in the House of Representatives. They made a good choice, and he was there for this country when we needed his steady hand.

It isn’t too hard to understand how James Brown became famous; one only needs to listen to the music. Brown’s rhythm and blues funky sound fills the soul with energy, and puts our bodies in motion. He filled African Americans with black pride and connected a nation that seemed culturally divided through music that brought its young people together. His personal life was filled with struggles and certainly doesn’t inspire our emulation, but that did not keep us from admiring his creativity and his energy.

While the world greeted the deaths of President Ford and James Brown with accolades and sadness, some rejoiced over the death of Saddam Hussein. Even those who morn his passing do not do so with fond remembrance but with anger and hate for those who have brought about his fall from power and his death. How did this man from humble beginnings rise to a position of leadership? He stood alone on that gallows, but he did not do the crimes alone. While we are quite willing to identify with the wonderful personal values of Ford and the creativity and energy of Brown, we have a problem owning the emotions and values that brought Hussein to power. Yet, they are every bit as common to us as the others. Saddam Hussein represented power for people who were powerless. He kept warring factions in check with brutality and fear. He brought modernization and stability to Iraq and increased living standards for many who had formerly lived in poverty under a monarch. No leader is able to commit “crimes against humanity” alone, there must be thousands of coconspirators, people who are willing to trade humanitarian values for power, money, or the illusion of safety. I am saddened by the death of Saddam Hussein, not that I condone what he did, but I feel compassion for him, and for the rest of us too. The people of this nation have at times supported leaders whose actions have traded humanitarian values for wealth, power and the illusion of safety.

The lives of these three men cannot be taken out of the context of history. The splash they made in the ocean of time was affected by the currents and the prevailing winds. The ripples made by others impacted them and through them, the rest of us and future generations as well.