I wrote a short post about Memorial Day in 2007 that remains relevant today.
Despite my apparent cynicism, Memorial Day has always meant something to me. Having grown up in the house of a WWII combat veteran, Purple Heart and Bronze Star, I was reared on the stories of pain, sacrifice and honor in the name of our country. A bit jingoistic, perhaps, but when honor comes at the price of a human life, it is something worthy of our remembrance.
The catch phrase today is that freedom is not free. But what is this freedom that is worthy of fighting, and dying, for? To show our respect for those who gave their lives for freedom, those of us who remain should be willing to stand up for that freedom and defend it. We don’t fight for a particular President. We don’t fight for a political party. We don’t fight for some transitory policy. We fight for enduring freedom. Don’t give up the fight. Take a moment today to think about it. Others have given their lives for it. It’s not much to do.
Don’t give up the fight, and honor everyone who gave their lives to protect our freedom. Let no one, right or left, take it away.