They Died - Memorial Day
Memorial Day is both to honor the fallen and refresh our memories as to what they died, or were wounded for. America did the honors. But, Americans have forgotten what they sacrificed for. Contrary to popular belief it was not for opening the borders to the world unchecked, nor for hidden, secretive government, nor for a government that spies and lies about its own citizens, nor, did they fall so the future generation could bankrupt the nation.
They took an oath, all, to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. They answered the call of a nation to defend that nation and its people, and their future. They fell trying to protect themselves and their comrades in arms against those who would destroy America's Constitution and her people, and take what they wished from the remains.
What would the fallen say if they thought the new enemy was the politicians in our own government? What would they say to Politicians who circumvent our Constitution, its Bill of Rights, and rewrite the Constitution in hidden signing statements? What would
they say about torture and rendition, as a method of war? What would they say of one religion's attempts to make the USA a one religion nation?
What would they say about the still devastated area of Katrina's wrath? What would they say about 9 Trillion dollars of national debt and deficit spending threatening to turn economic power over to China in the latter half of this century? What would they ask American voters standing over their graves in memory, to do about these circumstances in their stead?
Would they only ask that we remember them? Or, would they also ask that we fight too, now that they cannot, to protect and defend our Constitution, our Bill of Rights, our borders, our way of life, and our greatest nation status for the Fallen's children and grandchildren? Will you deny their plea? Will you ignore their request? Will you remember for a day, and then forget for another 364 days?
We are here because they aren't. The debt we owe is enormous and cannot be paid with a passing thought and a few flowers one day of each year.
Comments
David, my guess is you have been in the service. Thoughts such as these don't come easy to those who have not served. I respect what you are saying. But, I think most will forget the other 364 days. And the mistakes of the past will be repeated in the future, as Iraq repeated Nam.
As a service member who never saw combat, but, have witnessed the letahal mistakes of the past repeated, it would take a dire emergency and invasion for me to promote the enlistment for my children.
Service should be more than just taking orders and taking your pay. It should be service to progress and improvement of a nation and the human species, not service to the repitition of past mistakes.
Todays military is not what it was in WWII in many ways. Better in some, and worse in others. Still, one has to respect the fallen, as you put it. They did assume the risks most of the rest of us did not and would not. Especially, those making the decisions of war.
Posted by: George Belder | June 3, 2007 1:51 PM
George, thank you for your comments. I do think millions and millions of Americans are caring about our veterans everyday. Of course, other millions don't and won't.
But, government should be about the voters, not the non-voters, first and foremost. If millions of American voters are demanding respect and care for our veterans everyday of the year, I think it is safe to ignore those who don't vote and may not care. If they paid their taxes they bought the right to not participate without direct retaliation.
But, the future of this country is in the hands of the voters. And I have come to find that the non-voters, non-caring, in our system are equally a liability and irrelevant, which for me, equates to a wash. They are unimportant.
Posted by: David R. Remer | June 5, 2007 4:28 PM
________
David R. Remer wrote:
But, the future of this country is in the hands of the voters.
________
Yes it is, because the voters can NOT depend on politicians to reform themselves.
Especially NOT when too many voter repeatedly reward politicians for irresponsible behavior by too many voters that repeatedly re-elect them.
In a voting nation, an educated and responsible electorate is paramount.
We can get that education:
(a) the smart, reponsible way
(b) or the hard, painful way (again).
Government will NOT become more responsible until enough voters do too (and before it's too late).
Posted by: Daniel Summars | June 9, 2007 10:02 AM
"What would the fallen say if they thought the new enemy was the politicians in our own government?"
they DID think that, which is why they made the Constitution in the first place, but i guess even they didn't count on the Shrub, nor on such a piece of work ever being tolerated by the people, let alone supported.
where we are now is exponentially worse than the situation that sparked the first revolution,
but it happened slowly and craftily and came wrapped in the flag - the federal reserve, compulsory
"education", the supplanting of Constitutional law with mercantile law, the co-opting of independent citizen militias by the National Guard, the War on Drugs - all used as excuses to scale back Constitutionally guaranteed civil rights in the name of the "greater good" while plunging us deeper and deeper into a socialist police state - only the most astute among us saw it coming, while everyone else was too busy being patriotic in well-meaning but naive ways. we stopped being vigilant and now it's too late.
the fact is that the America we were taught to revere in civics class faded in the 1900's and ended in the 30's, and it was that very "reverence" that was our undoing, because it was the root of our nailve obedience to anyone waving the flag and our reluctance to question authority.
i think what the founders were trying to tell us was that "patriotism" as it has come to be understood is the farthest thing from the actual meaning of the word. patriotism is vigilance and *dissent*, and the willingness to die for princples, but not for the profits of the enemy within..
Posted by: susan28 | September 23, 2007 10:06 AM