This is almost identical to last year's Memorial Day article. I did not see how I could express my opinion more accurately.
You may ask why I, as one who opposes war almost by definition, would want to celebrate the day in which we honor those military service people, who have given their lives in service to America. From my earliest days as an antiwar activist opposing the war in Vietnam, I have believed that it is as important to honor the warriors, as it is to oppose the wars.
They took an oath to obey and honored it. They had nothing to do with the decisions. I have no doubt that, if those who died in our Revolutionary War, for example, can look at today’s wars, they are shedding tears over the senseless waste of life, but honoring their comrades as they fall.
Now, unlike Veterans day, Memorial Day is not intended as celebration of those who served and survived. Nevertheless, to all veterans who read this, thank you for your service. I thank God that you are not among those whom we honor today.
Finally, if you are in the service now, you have the hardest decisions any US service person has ever had to make. I consider your lives far too precious to spend defending Trump's personal profit or Russia's national interest
RESIST!!
16 Responses to “Memorial Day”
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I agree. You could not have said it any better. Thank you.
To repeat: If you missed this last night you can still see it on line for a while …
http://www.pbs.org/national-memorial-day-concert/watch-2017-show-live/
Even though I'm Feline a little down, for Memorial Day I can CATegorically state you outdid yourself! it's PURRfect!
Thanks!
(My critter is very sick – unless a 180 degree turnaround in the morning, we'll being heading to the vet.)
Hopr your critter heals.
Thanks. He's much better now.
Mighty glad to hear it!
What JD said!!
I watched the PBS Memorial Day Concert last night with family. I always get choked up, and I've been watching them for the last 10+ years now.
I leave you with this:
“We here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain; that this nation shall have a new birth of freedom; and that this government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
~ Abraham Lincoln ~
I only sometimes get choked up. Sometimes I bawl. I'm glad to know that they will be able to produce shows like this in the future even without Jerry Colbert, but I'm also sad that he is gone. Thanks.
Like, PERFECT Tom!
Have to brag a bit. KCMO holds an annual "Celebration at the Station" with a day of music (mostly jazz) and the Kansas City Symphony closing the program w/ ~ an hour-and-a-half of patriotic music. It draws a couple hundred thousand people to our gorgeous rejuvenated Union Station, with folks spreading picnic baskets on the huge lawn sweeping up the hill to the Liberty Memorial Tower – the only Memorial in the country for those who served in WW !.
When I had some friends visiting from NYC visit over Memorial Day a few years back, a bunch of us went. Although the music was a loss for me, like the Boston Pops orchestra, they close w/ Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture" – complete w/ fireworks over the Memorial and w/ howitzers – and I could actually feel those firings!
Quite a moving spectable!
Very impressive! Bragging fully justified!
Kudos!
1868: First Memorial Day is observed in US
The first major Memorial Day, also known as Decoration Day, is observed to honor those who died in the civil war. Two dozen communities across US claim to be the birthplace of Memorial Day. However, the official distinction, signed into law by President Johnson in 1966, is held by the village of Waterloo, New York.
I saw one elderly lady wearing a red poppy.
As a kid, I remember seeing lots of those at Memorial Day time and people selling them for donations – but it's been ages since I've seen that. It's inspired by the poem "In Flanders Field" where the poppy was the first flower to bloom and thrive in the graveyard of those lost in WW I
We don't have a Memorial Day as such. We honour those who have fallen and those who survived on 11 November, Rememberance Day.
"In Flanders Fields", which was required memory work in my school days, was written by Canadian physician Lt Colonel John McCrae on the battlefield near Ypres, Belgium on 3 May 1915. This is also where the Rememberance Day poppy, which endures to this date, got its start.
Thanks all. Hugs!