A Time To Remember

[filkertom]

I have actually seen and heard the phrase "Happy Memorial Day".

What have we become as a people, that for many today is a day off from work, a day to barbecue, a day to buy things on sale, and nothing more?

For those who have forgotten: This is what today is about.

And this.

And this.

And this.

And, though our government really doesn't want you to think about them, this, this, this, this, and this. (Not for the squeamish... but some people really need to take a good, long look.)

(Crossposted to Mandate, My Ass.)

Comments

[twfarlan.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it's a day to honor the dead of wars we aren't currently in, apparently. I mean, we're doing such a wonderful job in Iraq (oh, that's not a war, it's a police action now, right?) and Afghanistan (where? Oh yeah, are we still there?), we haven't gotten any real casualties or anything. The media is lying when they read those big long lists of the recently deceased. (smirk) I'm sure all those soldiers just keeled over dead of old age, happily, in their sleep.

Yeah.

[r-caton.livejournal.com]

In the UK the 30th is the Spring Bank Holiday, a substitute for the Whitsun holiday.
The problem, my friend, is that those who would take us into wars (their own or their political friends and allies'), and turn a blind eye to dodgy evidence if it justifies their ends, are the sort that thinks of "colateral damage" purely as numbers on a spreadsheet. Likewise casualties. And yet they keep getting returned to office.
One thinks of the casualty listings of the Great War, black bordered newspaper pages full of the latest "Glorious Dead". That points it out rather well....

[umbran.livejournal.com]

Um, there is a long, long tradition of taking a memorial for the dead, and turning it into a joyous occasion. A whopping load of people have died in service to this nation, and it is not unfitting to remember them by enjoying those things their sacrifice has bought for us.

The honored dead deserve honor, yes. And perhaps each of us should take a turn planting a few flags. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't be happy that their sacrifices have not been for nought.

[wwetuesday.livejournal.com]

It like I was told long ago. "You can mourn death, but don't forget to celebrate life."

[poltr1]

And this.

It's a travesty that in this so-called enlightened democracy, there is a group of people that can't get the respect they deserve. Right now, there are total of 38 religious symbols available on military headstones. To get one approved for use, paperwork has to be submitted to the VA, including artwork for the design, the number of people in the organization, and a signature from the leader of the organization. In the past several years, several pagan groups have submitted the paperwork to have the pentacle approved, but they've been stonewalled by the bureaucracy.

[firedrake-mor.livejournal.com]

When in the VA hospital for surgery, I can't even get them to put "pagan" on my religious preferences for potential crises.

We've been fighting this one for five years.

Linguistics, hold the snark

[arensb.livejournal.com]

All snarkiness and outrage aside, the name "Memorial Day" bugs me. "Memorial", in this case, is an adjective; it means "in memory of." So Memorial Day is the Day in memory of. Of what?

Ditto, in this area, Memorial Hospital and Memorial Highway. A hospital and a road named so that we wouldn't forget. Forget whom or what? If anyone knew, they seem to have forgotten.

[atalantapendrag.livejournal.com]

On one of my LJ comms, a member who is a veteran talked about having trouble getting the day off... because co-workers with kids wanted to spend the day celebrating with their families.

Yeah, that's a world of wrong right there.


Me, I've been listening to my various recordings of "No Man's Land" and pondering what I have in my video collection would be apt viewing... Blackadder IV might be the best I can do.

[kimpire.livejournal.com]

How Memorial Day really *should* be celebrated. (http://www.livejournal.com/users/kimpire/332212.html)

[dpolicar]

Yeah. I have similar issues with "Happy Yom Kippur".
A more historically concerned person than I might similarly object to "Happy Holloween".
That said, "Happy X" is the conventional way to acknowledge that X is a holiday; it doesn't necessarily mean one isn't able to be solemn or has forgotten the point of the holiday.
That said, I do agree that people don't think about the origins of Memorial Day anymore.

[firedrake-mor.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Tom.

On behalf of the two men killed at Midway for whom I am named, all the members of my family who have served, and all my brother and sister veterans, and those who are still serving, thank you.

I was at an SCA event yesterday, and was exceedingly touched when the Queen had the herald read off all the names of those members of the Kingdom of Caid who are currently deployed elsewhere (including her own two brothers, who are Navy SEALs). She then had all active duty members present stand up, then the retirees, then the other veterans, then the family members of the active duty personnel, and then the children of veterans.

By the end of it, more than 80% of the audience was standing.

She said, "See how this touches all of us?" Then went on to ask each person present to spend an hour this week contacting a person serving overseas and telling them what's going on in our lives and reminding them that home is waiting at the end of the duty.

Then, she got surprised -- she had been doing the roll call bit for some months, and many of those who are veterans gathered and presented her with unit pins, rank pins, patches and remembrances of their own service in thanks, then gave her a full military salute.

She cried.

She had to take several minutes off from court to regain her composure.

There are times I'm very proud of my Society.