These days passions in the public arena usually mean you are against something. It seems the easy way to stir up emotions is to get people angry or scare them. So it was a change of pace at the Senior Center when Petty Officer Jim Cava brought Operation Red, White and Blue to Oakland. The inspirational program created and presented by Petty Officer Cava is an offering of motivational speeches and patriotic songs. A mix between George S. Patton and George M. Cohan, Jim had the audience standing and singing along with him.
For all the passion and emotion Jim brought to the Senior Center, you would think he was running for office, raising money, or trying to sell you something, but he wasn’t. It was a rare exhibition of honest patriotism, and if you are seeking to inspire patriotism- sincerity will make it happen. Taking in Jim’s emotional presentation, the famous phrase, “Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice; moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue”, quickly come to mind.
For a country facing threats from violent extremists, Jim’s presentation offered a fitting emotional response. There was no politics, there was no bashing, there were no issues to debate, just an attempt to raise people’s consciousness that patriotism means passion for the foundations of America. Appreciation for the immense wisdom that went into the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution.
It was a proud moment when he called forth Veterans from the audience to come stand upfront with him. Inquiring if some of the older gentlemen might need a chair, he received a spritely, “We know how to take orders.” It was a bit of levity on an otherwise serious subject of supporting American service men and women. This might have led to the only note of negativity in the entire program, but in being honest it would be inevitable. Part of Jim’s presentation is to remind America of how Veterans from the Vietnam War were treated on their return to America, and how that can never happen again.
The event was arranged by the Senior Center coordinator Rose Marie Burik, and she had a little help from Council member Marcalus who lent a hand in the kitchen.
