Yesterday was a tough day to be an American. Yet in the evening, after watching the network news, I switched to the BBC, which was showing the Pentagon news conference. Marine Corps General Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr., commander of the U.S. Central Command, answered questions remotely, and he was so straightforward, never dodging or obfuscating, speaking plainly and honestly, that it was clear he saw the media not as adversaries but as compatriots, people who shared similar beliefs and values and – yesterday – pain. It was one of the finest displays I’ve seen not just of military openness but of American democracy.
