RE: http://www.military.com/opinion/0,15202,110921,00.html
Great piece, Citizenship in a Republic is about our duty as citizens; the "man in the arena" portion can easily be taken out of this context. President Nixon, for example, quoted the passage during his resignation speech. Nixon missed the mark. The man in the arena deserves credit when he enters the arena at the right time to do the right thing. If he fails, so be it. Let us not criticism him, but celebrate his bravery and effort. As this article notes, one warrants criticism when one acts rashly. President Roosevelt, it seems, would agree.