Evidently, Cowardice Pays

When the news came in that Broward County Deputy Brian Miller, the man who hid in his car while children were being slaughtered by a madman at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida had not only been reinstated, but also been given full back pay and his seniority, I shook my head. I wish I could say it was in disbelief, but if I am to be honest, it isn’t all that surprising. Even in conservative states, teacher unions and police unions have a great deal of power, and while I am far more pro-union than most right-wingers, it is hard to ignore that both function largely to protect the incompetent from their actions.

During those critical first moments, Miller failed to protect those he was given the task to protect. He was hiding in his car like a coward, he knew he was in a gun free zone (none of the teachers were armed). Had Miller acted more decisively it is likely that more lives could have been saved that day. But, the actions of Miller and the recent news of his awarded judgment reveals a declining interest in any notion of duty and bravery. Naturally, it is the outgrowth of a nation where men have become cowards.

The more I study, the more I am convinced that cowardice is one of the gravest sins a man can commit – because it goes against his nature as a man. Yes, it is a sin to be foolhardy as well, but at least foolhardiness is well within a man’s nature. The sins that go against our nature are graver than those that confirm to our nature because it takes a greater turning away from the truth to commit them. This is why sodomy is a greater sin than gluttony. Gluttony is just an excessive desire for something that is natural for us to want – food. Sodomy is a disordered desire, something more akin to a man wanting to eat sand rather than a man wanting to eat too many hamburgers. From my experience, it is far easier for the foolhardy man to learn enough control to have properly ordered bravery, than it is for the cowardly man to gain enough courage to become brave. Both the foolhardy man and the cowardly man may be outside of Aristotle’s golden mean, but one is closer to being able to achieve virtue than the other.

We can see this same theme, of the evil of cowardice, also echoed in sacred Scripture. In the Book of Revelation 21:8, St. John lists those who will not attain salvation:

But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, they shall have their portion in the pool burning with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.

Notice how St. John lists the fearful (cowards in several translations) first, before the unbelievers, murderers, whoremongers, sorcerers, idolaters, and liars. That the cowards are listed at all on a list that also includes murderers, whoremongers, and idolaters should give us pause as we reflect upon just how serious the sin of cowardice is – that it is listed first should give us even greater pause. Why is it then that St. John comes down so hard on the cowards? Part of it, as already mentioned, is because it is so unnatural, particularly for a man. It is a complete rejection of the man’s place as provider and protector that is seen in the vast majority of societies. The scarce matriarchal societies that the Left loves to drag out, to prove that gender roles are artificial, is the exception that proves the rule. If you have to look this hard to find societies that reject the concept of the male as the provider and protector, then it points to it being a concept that the vast majority of civilizations rejected, especially the great civilizations – all of which were patriarchal.

I think it is also because the coward has knowledge of a great danger, but still rejects his duty. Afterall, had Brian Miller for some reason been truly unaware of what was going on, we may question only his alertness, but he would not be a coward. The man is a coward because he knew what was happening and still behaved as he did. Because of his concern for his own life over those he gave a vow to “protect and serve,” many died that could have been saved.

In the traditional West, he would have been a social pariah, and while he may be in the eyes of many, there are others that have defended him. That cowardice has become as accepted as it is now is one of the most visible signs of deep decline. The Left hates traditional masculinity because it (correctly) sees it as the greatest bulwark against leftist victory. It is a masculinity that says, “No, you will not legalize infanticide” and “No, you will not bring ‘drag queen story hour’ to my town.”

Cowardice in a man is a great sin, not only because of how unnatural it is, but also in its forsaking of duty. Brian Miller knew that children were being killed by a madman, but he was too cowardly to do anything about it. It also allows for other sins to thrive because men will not step up and fight it. Brian Miller is in many ways the picture of an American man in a post-masculine society: there is no sense of duty or self-sacrifice. What we see is a man that considers policing as a mere paycheck. Evidently, cowardice pays.

-By Harmonica