I am a complex woman with quite a
variety of interests. I love a true story which can be in a book or movie form
(http://thequeenoff-ckingeverything.blogspot.com/2011/07/for-true-story-part-i-plays.html),
historical figures, and memoirs of people I admire, just to name a few. But
within all of these lies another love of mine- the law. Give me an article
about the law or politics any day and I am happy girl. It’s part of why I love
reading the New York Times, Huffington Post, and The Hill on a daily basis.
I went to the same high school as
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg a.k.a. Notorious RBG. My interest was
nurtured there in a courtroom she donated (http://thequeenoff-ckingeverything.blogspot.com/2014/10/for-notorious-rbg-justice-ruth-bader.html).
Ever since I have always been a fan of hers but also the Supreme Court which I
was able to visit during a trip to Washington, D.C. in 2010.
It is within this realm that I
found the topic for this week’s edition of Find Out Fridays. I was roaming
around the internet the other morning checking out the news from D.C. when I
stumbled onto a site for Congress.
From the Congressional policy
sites I found Patriots Point mentioned several times. I had never heard of that before. It turns out that Patriots
Point is in Charleston, South Carolina, and is the location of the
Congressional Medal of Honor Society and Museum. I was curious especially
because I have a real interest in visiting Charleston, South Carolina in the
near future. Hopefully you will be
reading a review of that historic site and city early next year.
While I was doing this reading I
realized I was also thinking about the Congressional Medal of Freedom. In my
mind they can get mixed up very easily. So I decided I would study up on them
both and share the results with you dear readers and “lovers of liberty”.
That’s a little humor for my fellow “Scandal” fans.
Before I compare these two
monumental honors I wanted to see what if any other medals from Congress that
can be bestowed to civilians and the military alike.
Officially these are the awards
that Congress and the President are authorized to give: Congressional Award,
Congressional Gold Medal, Medal of Honor, Presidential Citizens Medal, and
Presidential Medal of Freedom.
I will only be breaking down the
two I mentioned earlier as that’s where the majority of my interests lie. For
those who want to dig in a little further I have provided several informative
links below.
According to the federal
government, the Congressional Medal of Honor is the highest tribute that can be
given to a member of the military. The President usually passes out the award,
which is technically from Congress. The medal represents honor, bravery, and
valor for the recipient’s behavior during battle. Commanders nominate their man
or woman and then it goes to the Department of Defense for review. Those who
win this prestigious medal also win a thousand dollar monthly pension and
certain military base liberties.
As for the Presidential Medal of
Freedom, that comes straight from the President. Unlike the Congressional Medal
of Honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom is for civilians only. It is like
these two awards are exact opposites of one another.
It was President Kennedy that
changed the trajectory of this award directing that its use be to acknowledge
those who have made contributions to our society, mostly in the arts.
Surprisingly enough there are two types of this medal. If you win the
Presidential Medal Freedom With Distinction you are really the bees knees.
This Distinction is
usually the result of a winner’s project or accomplished being closely related
to that particular President’s causes. These individuals are from all walks of
life and can work in just about any field such as journalism, public service,
and sports. Better yet it can be granted posthumously so you really always
stand a chance of winning someday.
In 2015 Gloria Estefan (also her
husband) and Barbra Streisand were lucky enough to receive this honor from
President Obama, while they are still alive nonetheless!
If you do not know who these women
are or how much they have altered our world for the better I recommend you see
“On Your Feet” a Broadway show about the Estefan’s lives. Also you can Netflix
“Yentl” Ms. Streisand’s piece de resistance.
Gloria Estefan explains the
hardest part of building her career, as told to NPR's Rachel Martin in 2013:
"They
would say you're too American for the Latins; you're too Latin for the
Americans; lose the drums; lose the percussion; change your name," Estefan
said. "And the fact that we had this fresh, different sound, and that we
stuck to it, is the reason we had success. So, we were very happy that we were
our own cheerleaders."
Barbra Streisand forged a long
road ahead while beginning her singing career as well but was always looking
ahead:
"You
reach a certain age and you wonder, well, do I give it up? Do I retire? Or do I
get more in before my time is up?" she asks. "I could just travel
around the world. But then I think I'd get bored and I'd need to create. I need
to be creative, and time is going so fast."
Indeed time flies when you living
the life you imagine.
Ironically I just finished reading
a book about Justice Ginsburg, “Notorious RBG The Life and Times of Ruth Bader
Ginsburg”, last night. I had no idea I would be writing about the
law/government today. But now the connection seems clear.
When thinking of a nominee for
award based on one’s moral, creative, and life changing abilities, there seems
no more appropriate woman in my mind than RBG. She has built a life by working
hard everyday from the ground up breaking through the glass ceiling for herself
and those that would follow. She had the family she wanted with the love of her
life and a career anyone would envy. To borrow from Frank Sinatra, “RBG did it
her way” and succeeded no matter what stood in her way.
Living a life of significant
meaning to oneself and the world are certainly medal worthy achievements. It is
something we should all strive towards whether or not there is a ceremony
waiting for us at the end.
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