Jason Aldean - Not Every Man Lives

Virtue comes from the Latin virtus, the manly traits.  As you would expect from a society that ground their enemies down until the ancient Mediterranean was their lake, the Romans had many of these manly traits that they valued.

Dignitas, personal pride.  Disciplina, fealty to their military oath.  Firmitas, tenacity.  Honestas, respectability.  Humanitas, an appreciation of learning and culture.  Industria, an ethic of hard work.  Severitas, self-control.

Perhaps most honored of these virtues was virtus itself: manliness, valor, courage.

These days we recognize these as universal values, seen in both sexes.  Many of my lady readers are people I would be proud to have armed and ready in a TEOTWAWKI situation.

By now, everyone has heard of Seal Team Six, and their sacrifice for us in Afghanistan.  In every way, they embodied the ancient Roman virtues listed here.  It is astonishing that this Republic can yet capture the loyalty and devotion of such men (and women).

Their dignitas, disciplina, firmitas, honestas, humanitas, industria, severitas, and virtu as they laid their sacrifice on the altar of our freedom are astonishing to behold.  Humbling.

In every sense of the word, these men lived.

Not all do.  By now everyone has heard of the hoodlums who are burning London.  In every way imaginable, they lack these virtues.  Ever single one.  In a serious way, they are not alive.  Living without honor, or respect, or dignity - by choice, as these creatures do - is to not live at all.

Rome ultimately failed from Bread and Circuses.  Too many took the easy path of shirking industria, and too few took the hard road of virtu.  And in the end, those few were too few as an invasion of barbarians extinguished the lamps for a millennium.  The invaders knew virtu, but knew nothing of humanitas - civilization.

May we learn from their loss, Britain's loss, and our loss.



Not Every Man Lives (Songwriters: Lee Brice, Billy Montana, Frank J. Myers)

Have you ever skipped a stone across the water?
Have you ever hitched a free ride on a train?
Have you ever climbed up on a water tower,
To write a name?

The truth is every man dies,
Not every man lives.

Have you ever loved someone that you would die for?
Have you ever walked too far out on a limb?
Have you ever chased a dream too high to reach for,
And pulled it in?

The truth is every man dies,
But not every man lives.

I wanna paint outside the lines,
Run the red lights in my mind,
Take everything one lifetime has to give.
I wanna stand inside the fire,
Walk blind-folded on a wire.
Every man dies,
But not every man lives.

Have you ever thought about how fast time passes?
Ever thought about what you would leave behind?
Ever stood up for something you believed in,
And drawn a line?

The truth is every man dies,
But not every man lives.

I wanna paint outside the lines,
Run the red lights in my mind,
Take everything one lifetime has to give.
I wanna stand inside a fire,
Walk blind-folded on a wire.

Every man dies,
But not every man lives.

I wanna stand inside a fire,
Walk blind-folded on a wire.

Every man dies,
But not every man lives.

Have you ever skipped a stone across the water?
Have you ever hitched a free ride on a train?

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