Paperwork: In a war zone, both sides are ‘the enemy’

I say “enemy” and your first thought might turn to war.

The meaning seems clear with battle lines drawn. Each party wearing a uniform. How convenient.

Easy to know who you are fighting when everyone wears the appropriate costume. We won independence by killing “Red Coats” ... who liked to march in large clusters. Also convenient.

I have come to realize we are caught up in many wars. We draw lines in the proverbial sand and label those who challenge us as “enemies.”

Enemies cannot be trusted. They must be repelled, opposed, struck down ... as much as modern society allows.

Think about it. Who are your enemies?

It can be a subtle process ... the drawing of battle lines, where we make our stands, how we arm ourselves.

My working life has been in the newspaper business. For many years I was an editor and now and then a “teacher.”

That means I was in a leadership role, and more than once I felt the need to assure reporters that the public, the readers, our sources .... that they are not the enemy.

Because over time it begins to feel that way. It is not uncommon for the public, the readers and our sources to get angry at us ... for how we do our job.

So we tend to be defensive, keeping our guard up. Ready for attacks.

This is not meant to be a whine about the tribulations of being a news person. It’s much bigger than that. Personal wars are around us all.

I am actually talking about the little “war zones” that exist in each of us. Wherever there are people serving people. And what job does not come down to that?

Let’s be honest. The biggest obstacle to serving and helping people is ... people.

The friction and tension between the givers and the getters will vary, of course. Depends on the jobs at hand — what’s needed, who needs it, how do they get it and when. (COVID vaccine anyone?)

I feel sorry for those who oversee a counter and cash register. The pressure to never make a mistake, not be slow, always smile has to be constant and numbing.

Those who wait tables, cook and serve food have one mission: to please people. Tell me that’s not a challenge.

(It’s interesting how important a smile is when delivering a service. Goes a long way. Goes both ways, actually.)

No one smiles more than nurses. But even those angels face many challenges from those they are trying to help.

And teachers. They have many audiences to serve, always under public scrutiny.

And the most obvious war zone, outside our military, would involve law enforcement. They carry weapons for a reason.

And how they use those weapons is always under scrutiny. As it should be, of course.

But my point is not about who is right or wrong in the personal wars we wage. I am not ready to argue for or against any side.

I simply want to recognize that there are sides. That we do tend to see others as enemies.

And more important, others see us as enemies.

And what do you do when facing an enemy? You get defensive. Then ... offensive.

If we understood each other more, we could relax those defenses and be less offensive.

From “The Art of War” by Sun Tzu:

“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”

Lot to think about there.

Reminds me of Pogo, the comic character who said: “We have met the enemy and he is us.”

Think about it … with one more quote from “The Art of War”:

“The greatest victory is that which requires no battle.”

LONNY CAIN, of Ottawa, is the retired managing editor of The Times. Email to lonnyjcain@gmail.com or mail The Times, 110 W. Jefferson St., Ottawa, IL 61350.