Unintended Consequences

            Once, there was a young man…

He hooked up with some unsavory characters.

            As a young Army officer from Texas, the man’s ideology got him wrapped up in the politics of the day.

            On the wrong side of history, as it turned out.

            An impassioned idealist, he gave little thought to reality and “unintended consequences.”

            Arrested for his involvement in a dastardly plot against the United States government, he was tried and convicted. Upon hearing the guilty verdict, his mouth overran his brain. His outburst echoed the same rebellious nature and attitude that led to his predicament and his conviction.

            Ever know anyone like that? Ever read a newspaper article or hear a new report about a similar situation? Perhaps someone you know is guilty of exploding epithets when quiet would have been a better choice.

            Good stories transcend generations and provide opportunity for thought, conversation, and self-reflection.

            Who was this young officer? When did his betrayal occur? It might be a surprise to learn that the event which triggered the story took place during the campaign and election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States.

            That long ago.  Over 150 years, to be exact.

            The writer of the story, Edward Everett Hale, based his fictional account on current events of the period, steeping it in the culture of the time, so much that it read as realism.

Even then, people disagreed over politics, their country’s direction; the difference lies only in the names attached to the sides they favored. The disputes seem altogether familiar.

 Phillip Nolan, the officer Hale imagined, ended up on the wrong side of national sentiment. When Hale’s character heard the verdict of the court, he retaliated with expletives and spoke his own sentence: “D..n the United States! I wish I may never hear of the United States again!”

            And he didn’t.

            Even the uniform buttons on which U.S. was emblazoned were replaced with plain buttons, those words becoming his nickname. He was relegated to various ships in the naval fleet with the officers and enlisted men receiving strict orders as to young officer’s treatment. No harsh treatment. No offensive remarks. Nevertheless, conversation about home or politics must cease in his presence. His reading material was censored for all mention of the USA; any mention of his native land was cut from newsprint. Those naval personnel onboard the ships where he was a passenger came to dread his presence when the trade from one vessel to another transpired. His transfer to the next ship always happened at least 100 miles from the United States mainland.

            In his fifty-plus years aboard ships roaming the oceans of the world, Nolan did mellow. His patriotism created a poignant shrine in his final stateroom. Over time, his demeanor changed from a brash, impetuous hot shot to a humbled patriot. Nevertheless, he was granted no pardon, no clemency, no appeal hearing. His sentence had been absolute and final. His outburst sentenced him to life without a country.

            Did he receive a just sentence from the court?

The short story “The Man Without a Country” by Edward Everett Hale offers opportunity for conversation on a grand scale. Family conversations or neighborhood chats generate discussion about patriotism, divergent opinions, or politics of the day. Put down the cell phone. Don’t tweet. Read the short story. Talk among yourselves. 
          Reactionary verbiage seldom builds a bridge. 
          Speaking in the heat of the moment often brings regret. 
         The subjects for discussion are open.

         “The Man Without a Country” is available for download on Kindle or Nook for Free, perhaps also through your My Library account. Check with your favorite librarian. Revisit this little gem or meet Philip Nolan for the first time.

            Email your perceptions to ellajane.jg@gmail.com

             You are invited to join the conversation.
My column featuring this article was published in the Clay County Times-Democrat last week. I'm sharing it here for multiple reasons...a little test print, if you will.