Memorial Day 2018
Today is Memorial Day, the day our nation pauses to remember and honor the men and women of our armed services who paid the ultimate price for our freedom. In the past I’ve devoted my post to the history and tradition of Memorial Day. Today I’d like to point out what these brave men and women were actually fighting for.
To say we owe our very existence to these heroes is no exaggeration. In the short, 241+ years since our country was founded, our military has been there to safeguard us. We have had threats from every direction, both on our home soil and around the world. Had our armed forces not been there, these United States would have ceased to exist. Those of our ancestors who survived would be living under authoritarian rulers, under a different flag, with far different way of life.
But what these men and women fought for was far more than that. They fought for the rights that we hold dear and many of us take for granted. Our Constitution and Bill of Rights are unique in the world. They were unique when they were written and remain unique to this day, never being duplicated in whole.
Some contend that they are out of date in our modern world. I couldn’t disagree more. The simple fact that we can practice the religion we choose, that we can speak, write and express our discontent with others and with our government, that our press can report to us without government censorship is as important in the Internet age as when a printing press and a horseman were the main form of disseminating information.
That we have the natural right to bear arms, to be secure in our persons, houses, papers and effects have the same meaning today as they did when the words were first written is no mistake. That we are a nation of laws, a Republic, not a Democracy, is not mistake. The Founding Fathers understood the history of nations, what succeeded and what ultimately failed, and wrote words that would last long beyond their years.
Our way of life can be difficult. The same rights that we enjoy also apply to those who we disagree with. Their words, their actions, their beliefs may be offensive to us, but if we do not allow their rights under the same Constitution and Bill of Rights, then who are we to expect ours to not be taken away?
The men and women of our armed forces fought and died for us to be able to live free lives. In the modern world, we seem to have lost track of this. To many, Memorial Day just means a federal three-day weekend to mark the unofficial beginning of summer. It has become a time for sporting events, sales, picnics and barbeques.
There are still traditional observances you can attend in large cities and small towns across our nation. You can visit one of our nation’s 134 national cemeteries, a state veteran’s cemetery or a local cemetery and witness the flags posted at the graves of our veterans. You can pause at 3 p.m. local time for the National Moment of Remembrance, a minute of silence to remember and honor those who have died in service to the nation. However you choose to do so, I encourage you to include your family so they too can learn about and understand the sacrifices given by so many for our freedom.
Even if you cannot pause to remember their sacrifice this Memorial Day, there is still one thing you can do to honor those who gave you this freedom, be a good citizen. By not taking your rights for granted, by taking an active role in your community and protecting the Constitutional rights of all, you will be honoring these men and women.
Our freedom is not free. It cost us the lives of every man and women in those flag marked graves, and others around the world — some marked — some known only to God.
For all of us who live free because of your service, we celebrate your memory, we honor your sacrifice, we thank you and we shall never forget.
Bob
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