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Ken Chapman & Assoc. |
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The Alamo In late 1835, a group of Texas rebels lay siege to a small mission turned fort in San Antonio, Texas. By the end of the year, the Mexican soldiers in the fort had surrendered and headed south leaving the fort in the rebels’ hands. The name of the old church building was the Alamo. That action set the stage for one of the great heroic events in the United States history. The battle that occurred there in February and March of the following year is a story of valor and incredible responsibility. The battle at the Alamo between American settlers and the Mexican Army was inevitable. For twenty-five years, the citizens of Texas repeatedly attempted to gain their independence from the Mexican government. And each time, Mexican troops were promptly dispatched to suppress the rebellion. But this time it was different. The fort was manned by a resolute group of one hundred and eighty-three volunteers, including seasoned soldiers and frontiersmen, William Travis, Davy Crockett, and Jim Bowie. Their motto was, “Victory or death.” In late February, several thousand Mexican soldiers under the command of Antonio Lopez De Santa Anna marched on San Antonio and lay siege to the Alamo. When the Mexicans offered terms for surrender, the rebel defenders held firm. And when the enemy told them they would be given no quarter if they fought, the Americans would not be moved. When it became certain that battle was inevitable, Texans sent a young man out to try to bring back reinforcements from the Texas Army. His name was James Bonham. He slipped out of the old mission at night and made his way ninety-five miles to Goliad for help. And when he arrived, he was told that no troops were available. For eleven days, Santa Anna pounded away at the Alamo and on the morning of March 6, 1836, the Mexican Army stormed the old mission. At the end of the battle, not a single man of the one hundred, eight-three defenders was alive. But they had managed to take six hundred enemy soldiers to the grave with them. And what happened to James Bonham, the messenger who had been sent to Goliad? It would have been easy for Bonham to simply ride away. But his sense of responsibility was too great. Instead, he rode back to the Alamo, made his way through enemy lines, and joined his comrades so he could stand, fight, and die with them. Though the Americans were defeated at the Alamo, that battle was the turning point in the war with Mexico. “Remember the Alamo” became the battle cry in subsequent battles rallying support against General Santa Anna and his troops. Less than two months later, Texas secured its independence. It is rare in any culture to see the kind of responsibility displayed by James Bonham and his companions. It is easy for people to focus more on their rights than on their responsibilities. Reflecting on current trends, one politician was heard to say, “If you want to get rich, invest in victimization. It is America’s fastest growing industry.” He points out that millions of people are becoming rich by identifying, representing, interviewing, treating, insuring, and counseling victims. Good leaders never embrace a victim mentality. They recognize that who and where they are remain their responsibilities, not that of their parents, their spouses, their children, their government, their bosses, or their co-workers. Good leaders face whatever life throws at them and give it their best knowing that they will get an opportunity to lead the team only if they prove that they can lead themselves. For more information about Ken Chapman and Associates’ Leadership Development Programs, contact Ken Chapman at 205.366.0265 or email Ken at kchapman@leaderscode.com. <End> |
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