As my late Memorial Day tribute to our fallen soldiers I offer the same photograph I posted this time last year. It was taken by an AP photographer and it says everything I could never put into words. I had planed to blog entry about Memorial Day and the sacrifice our troops have made through out history, and especially today when thousands of them have died because our leaders want to be able to call Withdrawal 'Victory', but I didn't get around to it.
On Saturday afternoon I developed a rash, which by Sunday afternoon was covering my whole body and driving me insane with itchiness even oatmeal baths could not contain. Thank goodness one of my dear friends is a nurse who diagnoses all of my odd aliments. My rash, according to Nurse Curly Locks, is an allergic reaction to something. What I don't know. I just spent the holiday in a Benadryl stupor and I have to say, I've improved slightly. Here's hoping this has all gone soon so I can think again.
On Memorial Day we hear a lot of stories about soldiers who gave their lives for our country, but I think its equally important to remember that many were not given, they were taken, and taken stupidly and carelessly. There has been a great public piety about those soldiers and their "sacrifice" on the part of the politicians who blithely sacrificed them. My hope for us all would be that, having properly remembered those who have died wearing a United States of America military uniform, we seriously ask ourselves how those lives might have been saved.
3 comments:
Katy, You're right, the photo says it all, and I agree with your take generally. Unfortunately I learned about the state of war during Vietnam, and it had a profound effect on me. Thank goodness I had girls, because I don't think I could handle saying good-bye to a son.
Hope you're feeling better soon!
One of my Facebook friends posted a quote by Andy Rooney of all people, who said that (paraphrasing here because I can't remember) it's great to honor the soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice, but we really need to work on the whole concept of war & get rid of it!
Excellent post! There is nothing sadder than young lives taken at the threshold of adulthood because our egocentric politicians and those who oppose them insist on destroying each other rather than trying to get along.
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