ENFILADING

From My Perspective - - -

Those who serve their country during wartime and in battle areas know what it is to be subjected to an enemy who is relentless in enfilading. When a command is given: “Ready! Aim! Fire!” the troops respond with an enfilade. It is: “A firing in the direction of the length of a trench, or a line of parapet or troops, etc.; a raking fire; to pierce, scour, or rake with shot in the direction of the length of, as a work, or a line of troops.” Most have heard of the Gatlin Gun. It was first used in the Civil War by the Union Forces. The man who invented it – Dr. Richard J. Gatlin – wrote that he made it “…to reduce the size of armies and so cut down on the number of deaths by combat and disease.” That rationale has led to more sophisticated weaponry of modern warfare to the point where great numbers of people can be vaporized by nuclear weapons and combat soldiers can be wounded or die by the use of a variety armor piercing devices.

In the area of political debate, enfilading is a device and method used in terms of verbal attack where the desire is to marginalized a political opponent by either misquoting or by means of ridicule. Reference was made to this approach in yesterday’s post on the subject of “kerfuffling”! Accuracy and Truth are no longer championed. A statement is lifted out of context: “I want President Obama to fail…” and the enfilading begins. What gets lost in the immediate is that last year 51% of Democrats polled wanted President Bush to fail, and almost as many indicated that General Patraeus would lie to Congressional Committees about the War in Iraq. Why? Because they were not interested in the facts delivered by the Field General in charge of the Surge, but in their presupposition that the War was already lost. And so, Posters were circulated about a General who was serving his country that read: “Not General Patraeus but General BETRAY-US”! It not only sets out to marginalize, but also includes destruction of reputation, personal integrity, and the brilliant strategy and accomplishment of a career officer. In this instance, they failed! However, those given to enfilading are versatile and opportunistic. They shift their guns from Bush, Cheney to other targets and a different debate. Currently, it is Rush Limbaugh being portrayed as the “head of the Republican Party” even though he has never run for political office, nor has he sought to do so.

What must be remembered here is a more subtle strategy. Since the new administration has assumed responsibility for the nation, members of Congress have raised the issue regarding The Fairness Doctrine - “The policy of the United States Federal Communications Commission that became known as the Fairness Doctrine is an attempt to ensure that all coverage of controversial issues by a broadcast station be balanced and fair. The FCC took the view, in 1949, that station licensees were public trustees, and as such had an obligation to afford reasonable opportunity for discussion of contrasting points of view on controversial issues of public importance…” The lament has been that the airwaves are saturated with Conservative Talk Show Hosts, and there are few, if any, comparable Liberal Talk Shows on Radio. It cannot be denied that effort was made to have an entire network devoted to a Liberal Point of View. The problem – there was no audience committed to that network or such programming.

Consider these things with me - - - Those who represent the Truth will be subjected to verbal enfilading and be both marginalized and/or ridiculed along the way. Just look at the life of Jesus Christ and accusations that were directed at Him. In Luke 5:29-33, “And Levi made him a great feast in his house, and there was a large company of tax collectors and others reclining at table with them. And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners? And Jesus answered them, Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance. And they said to him, The disciples of John fast often and offer prayers, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink.” The task of serving Christ is daunting and the road may lead one “through the valley of the shadow of death”, but at such times and in such places one must continually remember – even there – The Lord Continues To Be My Shepherd – and because He is, I have everything that I need and I can endure everything for Him!