Most people don’t seem willing to give their lives for what appears to have become a forgotten word: honor.
The concept of honor exists in all societies and generally refers to whether or not an individual’s character reflects honesty, integrity, respect and fairness. Though the tenets of honor seem like they should be ingrained in every person, unfortunately, we are finding it more difficult to expect that we will find these qualities in our society, especially in the arenas of business and politics.
You might remember the movie, “The Last Samurai,” a 2003 epic drama in which an American soldier, played by Tom Cruise, was introduced to the Japanese Samurai culture in the wake of the Meiji Restoration in the summer of 1876. Beautifully depicted through wonderful cinematography, “The Last Samurai” address the cataclysmic insanity of war, but more importantly, focuses on the story of one man’s transforming experience living among the Samurai.
The Samurai were widely thought of only as savage warriors, but Cruise’s character learns they are motivated by service and guided by strict codes of justice, bravery, benevolence, respect, honesty, loyalty, filial piety, fidelity, wisdom and most importantly, honor. The Samurai were literally willing to die to maintain their honor. Regardless of the cultural differences, the concept of honor is simple, yet striving for – much less dying for – its explicit meaning seems inconceivable for some.
As we get older and experience life as it really is, we discover that honor constantly tests the strength of our backbone. We realize the courage to stand out front, especially in a position of leadership, does not mean we lack fear, but rather choose to confront it, and that honor comes not as a product of pretending we have it, but from the lifelong struggle to sincerely maintain it.
Throughout history, the most effective leaders, revered for their honor and wisdom, rose to prominence through a good amount of success, a share of failure and a heavy allotment of suffering. Are not the failures, the suffering and the experiences of the leader when he was in the safe haven of obscurity, pawing his way through the shadows of uncertainty that which allows him to understand the very nature of those for whom he is called to be steadfast?
Nico LaHood is a man whose journey certainly contains all of the common ingredients of a leader: a good amount of success, his share of failure and a heavy allotment of suffering. He knows he is ready to stand out front and lead our community as its district attorney.
LaHood understands that realizing true honor and justice also means we as people and as a community have to be willing to estimate the depths of our own ineptitude before we can begin to expect progress. He knows that our failures and inadequacies may not demonstrate our proudest episodes, but they do, however, usually precede our most transformative moments. LaHood does not come haphazardly windblown to the forefront. Still, the question has been raised: “Is he ready?”
There is a character in the Bible that almost everyone has heard of, although little more than the highlights of his story is even remembered, let alone fully understood. King David is the reference for the highly recognizable star that symbolizes Judaism and adorns the Israeli flag. King David is the man whose son, Solomon, renowned for his wisdom, built the first temple in Jerusalem. King David is the man responsible for writing a majority of the Psalms that many faiths cherish.
Perhaps his most famous story was the choice he made to battle the giant, Goliath, when no one else was willing or able. Everyone around him thought he was too young and too inexperienced, and that the giant was too imposing and too dangerous. Not David. Despite the pessimists’ thoughts on the matter, and despite their own inability to deal with the giant, David began selecting his stones, determined to protect his tribe and confident he would know victory.
Prior to his battle with the giant, David was a shepherd. When he voiced his desire to face the giant, there were those who questioned his judgment – even his own brothers – because after all, he was just a shepherd boy. His older brothers were the soldiers. What no one knew was that David had seen his share of frightening battles. As a good shepherd, he had snatched the sheep in his care from the jaws of lions and bears. Young? Yes. Battle-tested? Yes. Courageous? Absolutely.
LaHood speaks about his admiration for King David. He feels a certain kinship with him knowing that David was always a man after God’s own heart, as he is, shortcomings and all. He speaks almost whimsically about how comforting it is to know that although the heroes and saints of the Bible were very normal people who experienced many of the everyday struggles we face, God fulfilled things that completely altered the course of history through them.
If you ask LaHood whether or not he is ready, his answer is delivered in simple and confident terms: “I know I am ready … Everything that has happened in my life has prepared me for this moment, and I’m not one of those people [who sits] on the sidelines, so I’m going to do something about it … I’m comfortable in my skin, I know my intentions, I know where my heart is and I want to make a difference.”
If you ask him if he believes he is the perfect person for the job and should be given a real chance to become the community’s chief symbol of justice, his answer is no less poignant: “I know I am the right man for the job … I don’t view the DA’s office as an ivory tower that should never be approached … I plan to cultivate a spirit of true public service … If I told you I can make things perfect, I’d be lying, but working together, we should always strive to make things better.”
He sums this thought up by adding in a refreshingly honest and reflective tone, “I’m a practical man, I am an imperfect man, I’m not perfect [and] I’ve made poor choices in the past, but I’m an imperfect man with perfect intentions for this community, that’s for sure!”
LaHood views the opportunity to lead from the DA’s office as just that: an extraordinary opportunity to be of service. He believes the obligations rest on all of us to make the place where we work, play and live a little better than how we found it and to “leave a footprint for the next generation.”
When speaking to LaHood, one very quickly learns that this spirit of service is something that inhabits his soul and pulses outward into his personality, and that he fully “expects to reflect in the office.”
LaHood enjoys a tremendous amount of respect and loyalty among his circle of influence. He is aware that outside that circle, his image is ambiguous. This is a fact that every candidate for office must accept. Not every individual voter will have the opportunity to meet and connect with the candidate firsthand, and some will never care to.
Some will cave into the deafening duplicity and focus on LaHood’s own brush with the law when he was just a young man without ever considering that he might actually stand as model of repentance and self-composure for others who have ever fallen short of perfection.
Image does not concern LaHood as much as it would most candidates. “I’m not into people having an image; just be yourself,” he says. “Your image should be a reflection of your soul … Anyone can have an image. If it’s not really them, it doesn’t mean anything … Have a reflection, not an image
LaHood trusts that whether you care to get to know him or not, the reflection of what he carries deep in his soul will answer more questions, shed more light and reveal more truth about his character than any invented image ever could.
As a devoted Christian and strict practitioner of martial arts, LaHood has learned that both philosophies evoke genuine feelings of respect for those with whom he comes into contact. The tremendous respect he has for his parents, his wife, Davida, and their children, his extended family, his close friends and his community only intensifies the responsibility he feels to lead an honorable life, learning every day while forever sharpening his mind, body and spirit.
He submits himself as clay in the potter’s hands and relishes the changes that result from obedience to the principles. LaHood has experienced many different seasons, both tumultuous and triumphant, and has been taught many lessons, both mild and miserable, and all of them have helped to shape his destiny.
Though his faith is very clearly reflected in his demeanor and often arises in casual conversation, LaHood is particularly careful to point out that his faith “will not dictate” how he runs the office if elected, but rather, the “law and the facts will.” He goes on to explain, however, that, “your faith dictates how you conduct yourself.”
After his brother, Michael LaHood Jr., was murdered in 1996, LaHood suffered tremendously. He will never forget the grief-stricken sounds that came from his mother, Norma, or when he saw his father, Michael Sr., cry in front of him for the first time.
In an instant, he felt what every victim of violent crime must feel, and he learned that the end to the pain would not come soon. He knew what it was like to hear his mother cry uncontrollably. He understood what it was like to not look forward to holidays and to stare at an empty seat at the dinner table.
Inspired by the resolve of his parents, he developed a gritty determination to honor the memory of his brother and make his parents proud. “I think you find your greatest potential when you start living for someone else,” LaHood stresses. “I truly believe that.”
He speaks with a spirited admiration for the example his father set in the wake of Michael’s death. “My pop was miserable,” he said. “Michael Jr. was stolen from him in front of his eyes, in his own driveway, but even in his torment, no one else was going to provide for his family.”
LaHood knew his life would never be the same. He calls his “pop” the most unselfish man he ever met. Everything was about his family. Hearkening back to the days when masculinity meant suffering in silence and being a true gentleman meant living by a strict code of honor closely resembling the sublime virtues of the Samurai, the elder LaHood set the example that still chokes his son up to this day.
“I could have suffered in my own misery at home, to this day, not accomplishing anything in my life and still have a roof over my head and food on the table,” he says. LaHood acknowledges that witnessing his father’s courage while battling his own anguish was an awakening for him.
Later hearing his mother laugh with true joy in her heart after the birth of his daughter, Maya, whom they call a gift from God, proved to be not only an awakening moment, but also a truly transformative experience.
“There was no way I was going to allow them to fight that battle alone,” he says with a flinty tremor in his voice. When listening to LaHood talk about his plans for this community, you begin to sense he feels the same way about us.
Most people don’t seem willing to give their lives for what appears to have become a forgotten word: honor. But one man is carefully selecting his stones. Whether in the DA’s office, as a counselor at law or as a private citizen in service to his community, LaHood is ready to stand out front, stare down the giants, seek justice, love mercy and walk humbly with God.
Joe Cox
A San Antonio native, Joe Cox is married with three children, a graduate of Norwich University, co-owner of Cariños Boutique in downtown San Antonio, and a freelance writer. Cox is committed to searching for, listening to and creating new and inspiring human stories.
