This morning I opened the paper and a series of circulars spilled onto my lap bright, colored pages with bold fonts and frenetic language: Now through Memorial Day only! and A Dont Miss Memorial Day Sales Event! As I took a deep breath and gathered up the pages that had spilled to the floor, at once it struck me: We owe more than commerce to those who sacrificed the balance of their lives for their country. It’s time to take back Memorial Day.
Memorial Day is meant to be a solemn occasion, a uniquely military holidaythe only one that honors fallen soldiers. But since the first one on May 30, 1868, a little after the Civil War (then known as Decoration Day) when flowers were placed on the graves of soldiers from both the North and the South, Memorial Days quiet reverence has slowly been lost to the noise of commerce and the American pursuit of recreation. This didnt happen overnight; it snuck up on us. And its not necessarily the fault of the American people who time and again have proved themselves patriots.
Even more surprising is that this disappointing trend hasnt ebbed since the Long War began more than four years ago. Today the solemnity once associated with this day should be closer to the surface. Our nation is at war, which is to say our friends, family, and neighbors are fighting. Some of them do not make it home. In recent years, too many Americans have been personally touched by the sacrifice of battle. But the unfortunate reality is that for most people, the war remains a distant concept, something that happens on TV.
Losing brave Americans on fields of strife is not a new phenomenon. Its part of our heritage. For over two hundred and twenty five years, our troops have made the ultimate sacrifice for what they believed was worth more than their own lives: Freedom. Not just the notion of freedom or the sound bite called forth in politically expedient ways, but freedom practiced by Americans every day.
This freedom is a gift across time, given most often anonymously. And now it is Memorial Day. How can Americans take it back and do right by the valor that created this day?
By action. For starters, the National Moment of Remembrance resolution asks that at 3 PM local time on Memorial Day all Americans should voluntarily and informally observe in their own way a moment of remembrance and respect, pausing from whatever they are doing for a moment of silence.
Beyond that, Americans can honor the dead by supporting the living, especially those who serve. Send a note or visit the family of a servicemember who has died. Visit a veteran who is convalescing. Make a donation to the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, Armed Forces Relief Trust, or the Armed Services YMCA. Volunteer to work with local veterans groups. Encourage your employer to publicly recognize the veterans who work with you. Better yet, commit to hire veterans or military spouses in the coming year.
Visit the graves of fallen soldiers. Leave a flower on the stone. Consider the grave and behold the cost of freedom.
Or simply shake a Soldiers hand. Support for the troops is more than a sticker on an SUV. Whatever we do, lets make it personal, not commercial.
Let us take back Memorial Day, not for abstract ideas or guilt for having forgotten, but to pay a debt. To rememberand to act on the memoryis the least we can do for the men and women who said, I will die so strangers lives will be better. Make Memorial Day a personal reflection of a strangers costly gift.
– Chris Michel
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Great post, Chris. And thank you for the donation links, too.
–Chris
Good stuff!
Thanks. Nice job. Excellent post.
Took a photo of a display about The National Day of Remembrance while at Ft. McHenry recently. Posted about it and your post here.
Why, in a country at war, is Memorial not a bigger deal?
http://cannoneerno4.wordpress.com/2006/05/26/memorial-day-3-day-weekend-vs-nuremberg-rallies/
Memorial Day 3-Day Weekend vs Nuremberg Rallies
Why, in a country at war, is Memorial Day not a bigger deal?
http://cannoneerno4.wordpress.com/2006/05/26/memorial-day-3-day-weekend-vs-nuremberg-rallies/
Memorial Day 3-Day Weekend vs Nuremberg Rallies
Great post agree 100%+
It shows the sad state of our nation how Memorial Day is more about the local super auto sale than the actual sacrifices of the generations to give US such petty privileges. Extremely sad is the fact of how so many in positions of influence actually see things such as patriotism, pride in the US nation & culture as somehow primitive and simpleton. Our current view and disrespect of Memorial Day across the nation is a telling result indeed of deeper problems.
Good Morning Chris,
Great post Chris, I agree 100%.
The problem is that the overwheling majority of American don’t know a Veteran much less someone who served in a War or were killed or wounded in combat.
Sad to say Americas wars are being fought by an increasingly smaller pool of citizens since the end of conscription. To many if not most Americans the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are little more then a video game clips that interupts there evening news every night.
Like many Vets I don’t consider Memorial a Holiday, a Holiday should be a joyful occasion not a sober time of remembrance of those who gave up their tomorrows so that all other Americans can have theirs,on some battlefield.
I will let my fellow American run around shop, BBQ, go to a ball game or what ever. Me I will be remembering all those who I served with who will forever be nineteen.
ALLONS,
Byron Skinner
Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t Our Dear Leader tell the citizenry that their proper response to The Forever War was to shop more and visit Disneyland?
Sorry, but all this “We’re At War!” talk totally ignores how profoundly unserious our “leaders” are about it. How come I’m not hearing any politico — even one — talk up a “Memorial Day Tax Increase To Pay For The War”? I think we all know the answer.…
Are we going to have an extra memorial day to remember our civilian dead as well? The far outnumber the military, in the War on Terror as in every other war of modern times.
Extremely sad is the fact of how so many in positions of influence actually see things such as patriotism, pride in the US nation & culture as somehow primitive and simpleton.
Equally sad, and far more frightening, is the number of people who see patriotism and pride in the US as tools for political gain and weapons to use against their political opponents — people who equate patriotism with lockstep obedience to a leader and pride in our country with contempt for others. Someone else said it better than I ever can. He warned against the “dangerous patriot” as one who:
”…drifts into chauvinism and exhibits blind enthusiasm for military actions. He is a defender of militarism and its ideals of war and glory. Chauvinism is a proud and bellicose form of patriotism … which identifies numerous enemies who can only be dealt with through military power and which equates the national honor with military victory.“
That was written by someone who ought to know: Colonel James A. Donovan, USMC.
True pride is not arrogant. It is not the swagger of a bully or the bravado of a street thug. And true patriotism is not blind obedience to authority, nor is it jingoistic nationalism. Beware of anyone who tries to convince you otherwise, because he is trying to use you. Trying to use you for some goal of his own in which the greatness of America plays no part.
Honoring the sacrifice of those who have fallen in war does not mean agreeing with the politicians in power at the time, or at any time. Memorial Day is a day to remember the honored dead, not to pledge obedience to the old men who send those young men to die. Someone who thinks it is a day for politics is as contemptable as someone who thinks it is a day for sales.
(the first and third paragraphs of my previous comment were meant to be in italics; I didn’t realize this would strip HTML tags)
All you whining liberal anti-military types will never get it. You want your freedom and will not personally defend it but you are the first to critize those that do. Why don’t you leave this country and head out to where you think it’s better.
I’ve carefully read every comment in this thread and seen exactly zero examples of “whining”, exactly zero posted by “anti-military types”, and exactly zero criticizing those who “personally defend” freedom (one assumes you mean members of the military there). Exactly zero. I saw a little bit of defense of Memorial Day sales, yeah, but that’s not the same thing.
If you are reading that into my criticism of politicians who cynically use false patriotism for political gain, what you are seeing does not exist outside of your own perceptions. One has to assume, from your blanket condemnation of everyone who has never served in the military, that you yourself have. So tell me this: How long would someone survive in combat if they saw only what they expected to see, not what was really there?
As far as my comments about politicians, I will reply with another one of my favorite quotes — this one from a Republican president, in fact:
> To announce that there must be no criticism of
> the president, or that we are to stand by the
> president, right or wrong, is not only
> unpatriotic and servile, but is morally
> treasonable to the American public.
I put it to you that the person who brings to light what is wrong, and seeks to change it to right, is the true patriot in the tradition that goes back to the founding fathers of this country, and the person who confuses patriotism with blind obedience to politicians of any stripe is the one who needs to seek out a more suitable place to live. Places like North Korea exhibit a perfect example of that attitude; perhaps such a person would be happier there.
Patriotism is like exercise. Who will be in the best shape: the man who says “my body is already the best possible” or the one who recognizes where he needs to improve and works out hard?
I stand by my position: I have just as much contempt for people who use Memorial Day to advance partisan politics as I do for those who use it to increase the sales of used cars.
Memorial Day should honor War dead Civil & Military ( even CIA spooks on missions that impact the US in a posotive way).
Maybe boost gun Sales on Memorial Day & Home sales to Vets from Iraq, Yes.
Otherwise De commercialize Memorial Day.
Send the Libs to Iraq.
But this also can not stand the feeling of virtual test, because we have feelings, and equipment can be wear by everyone, number is also. And the issue was coming, the number was stolen, the equipment and the RS gold were stolen. Perhaps the feelings of the game were greater than the reality of the feelings of the problems.
Ability to control the situation on whether the initiative has become a yardstick by. You can also buy potbs gold prove it. The game itself and its audience is not a direct rival between the tug-of-war contests, game aims to want to show the classic fencing in the occupied upper hand skills.
I only have quest from level 7–15. All quest of Silkroad gold are one time only unless otherwise specified.
I was a sad loss of the same things will be long, so I order to commemorate the my 17 days of the 2moons. I only know that in the game the 2moons dil is very important.
at that time I do not want to spend my time to the game, but later I met her, in my life she was very important, we together to earn the dofus kamas, I think this lifetime I will never forget.