Memorial Day thoughts

Submitted by Matt on Mon, 2010-05-31 14:56

Here in the US, it's Memorial Day. Like any other holiday, it's too easy to forget the real meaning of it. (Too often it's viewed as just another chance to have a long week-end or enjoy a cook-out.) But by no means is Memorial Day like any other holiday.

Most other holidays commemorate an individual or a very small set of them (Presidents Day, for example, commemorates certain of our past presidents), or they commemorate a single event (religious holidays are often like this). But Memorial Day commemorates a very large group of people and not just for one event but for many. In this case, that group is veterans, most especially those killed or wounded in action.

The fact that the overwhelming number of veterans are men seems to get lost in the language around the event, too, just as with men's occupations replacing the word "men" while referring to them in news reports, a phenomenon discussed here on MANN already.

I don't find Memorial Day a happy occasion. To me, it's a day to remember that millions of men the world over have been killed or wounded in wars that the vast majority of them wished they had not been in. Nonetheless, some wars must be fought (which ones are debatable), so those who have had the burden of wearing the uniform should be honored in particular on this day. But glorified? I would deny warfare leads a man to glory. If he is very lucky, he may just get out of it with his life.

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Comments

Yep, as a boy we would visit the graves of our ancestors with flowers, but our parents told us the day was especially for those who died in service to our country. They called it "Decoration Day." I guess if the parents were visiting the cemetery it seemed a good time to remember all the loved ones who've died.

"No answers lie in the dreams of my mind when the ghosts of war prowl the fog of my memories to seek reprieve from the belly of the beast and whisper, 'Live well for me.'"

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Submitted by MR on Mon, 2010-05-31 16:54

Now that medicine is getting better, more often than before soldiers are returning home wounded instead dying at war. This means that we as a society will have to deal more closely and practically with "casualties" of OUR war. While people have largely become desensitized to violence on TV its much harder to turn a blind eye to an amputated man or friends and neighbors with post traumatic stress.

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Submitted by fondueguy on Tue, 2010-06-01 06:55