Political Dogs

Search PDogs:

   Conservative thoughts from New Jersey & California
 

Sponsored Links






Add to Technorati Favorites

A Memorial Day for Those Who Still Don't Get it

by Steve
5/31/2005 09:19:00 PM

Joel seems to see the irony in Memorial Day, preferring to criticize those who celebrate it, rather than paying respects to the men and women who lost their lives. For some, Memorial Day is a day of shame, and for others, a day of pride.
Yes, America is a strange country. I have never been able to fathom it, but then they call me crazy. To an American, another American's life is cheap. Understand that attitude and you will understand our Memorial Day, our politics, and our willingness to send our sons and daughters into the way of danger while we chug beer.
I suppose everyone has the right to criticize those who honor our war dead, and turn this day into a political statement. But what criticism is there in someone paying respects to fallen soldiers?

On the one side, a liberal sees Memorial Day as something beyong the material, a political irony, of paying tribute "to those went sent off to their deaths". But then again, once you look beyond the material, it's easy to twist something towards your favor. But on other side, we have those who see Memorial Day for what it is, a day to give remembrance to those who died in the line of duty.

It's interesting how Joel separates himself from the rest of us that are sending sons and daughters into war while chugging beer. Let it be known that Joel doesn't drink alcohol. It wouldn't sound as good if he had said "surfing the Internet". Let's call a spade a spade.

I guess Joel is just as guilty for sending sons and daughters into war as I am, being that we're both Americans, we both voted for Presidents that sent sons and daughters into war, and were both consumers of fossil fuels that put money into the hands of Islamic terrorists. Maybe we should both shoot ourselves in the noggin.

And that brings me to my point. Memorial Day isn't about shame, or about being hypocrites for honoring those we sent off to their dooms. Whether you agree with the military action or not, is not the point in Memorial Day. That's an argument for another day. But this day is about giving something to our fallen soldiers, the very same thing that everyone of us wants, remembrance. The fact remains that these soldiers were people, the same people as you and I. They're simply asking us to remember them.

And some people are able to find criticism in that.

2 Comments:

  • What about those soldiers who fell while procuring our economic freedom from the UK? What about those soldiers who fell while again fighting the Brit.s a few years later in the War of 1812. What about those soldiers who fell trying to guarantee African slaves their freedom and for whom the very holiday was created? What about those soldiers who fell while defeating Hitler? What about those soldiers who fell freeing a whole sovereign country from Saddam's invaders? What about those soldiers who fell defeating the oppressive Taliban who were directly responsible for the attacks carried out against us?

    The list of wars is very long. The list of "justifiable wars" is also long. The list of cotroversial wars is pretty short. But those brave souls who paid the ultimate price for all our wars be they clearly justifiable or perhaps controversial is a long list indeed.

    Joel may feel as if everything America stands for is unjust but his right to say so was procured by the very people he disrespects by putting down Memorial Day.

    By Blogger Dave, at 6:16 AM, June 01, 2005  

  • I love Joel! Joel does a great service to this country - he gets more people to vote conservative! It may not have always been true - but these days the list of names of crazy folks on the right who use distorted logic is very short. However, on Joel's side of the isle, the list of leftie loonies is longer than a democratic senate filibuster - if that's even possible. They just don't get it. Even after getting a trouncing at the polls, they still don't get it. Which is fine with me - it keeps the moderate voters in this country Republican!

    Joel does have one point though - we really ought to celebrate some of the other folks who have given their lives for this country - like Firemen and Policemen. I'm all for it. After 9-11 - we should make it so. However, we ought to reserve the memorial to those occupations of service that happen to be hazardous and have demostrated a propensity for loss of life. This doesn't include ACLU lawyers and certainly doesn't include any politician!

    By Blogger Arjuna, at 10:32 AM, June 02, 2005  

Post a Comment
Back to Homepage