First of all, I would like to wish all my fellow Observers a safe Memorial Day weekend! Moving forward, I must convey that what many call the unofficial start of summer is upon us once again. Millions of people traveling to get together with family and friends, cleaning off the patio furniture and scrubbing down the grills in anticipation of the big cookout. And don't forget all the retailers getting in on the action with the BIG Memorial Day sales. Home improvement giants telling us to take advantage of the holiday and "Do This" while we "Never Stop Improving". The helpful hardware folks reminding us to "Get Things Done" and Do It Best preaching to us to "Do It Right". From food to fertilizer, booze to garden borders, lawn chairs to lemonade all with zero percent financing if we drop everything and get there now. And us running over each other to get the best deals, buying enough food and drink to feed a small country. All in the name of the Memorial Day holiday but nowhere near the true meaning.
In our typical American fashion we have forgone the original intent of the holiday and turned it into a living commercial for summertime fun colored in denial. First called Decoration Day, where Civil War soldier's graves were "decorated" in remembrance of their sacrifice, started to become known as Memorial Day in the late 1800's. After World War I the federally unrecognized "holiday" began being looked upon as a day to honor all fallen military. In 1967, after congress passed The Uniform Monday Holiday Act it was officially named Memorial Day and was deemed to be Observed on the last Monday in May. Finally having a permanent location on the calendar and an official name, all was set in place to honor over one million men and women who gave their lives in the service to our country. Over one hundred years of local and state ceremonies united by federal law to become a national holiday for so many deserving a mere 48 years ago. And in that short span of time we've managed to turn that tradition upside down and use it as an excuse for annual self indulgence.
We have become complacent in the holiday's genuine meaning and we have to ask ourselves a lot of whys. Why.... don't we go to our local ceremonies instead of a barbecue? Why.... don't we make a trip to Arlington and be there to watch the president lay a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknowns and listen to his speech instead of buying a new car? Why.... don't we volunteer at our local VFW or at a VA hospital instead of getting hammered at a party? Why... don't we organize a group to plant a memorial garden at our local monument instead of one in our backyard? We should ask ourselves these questions, but we won't. It's more fun for us to use the holiday to do what we want to instead of what it was intended for. Another thing we have to question is the way in which we "honor" the memories of our fallen. How exactly does getting drunk and burning a few hot dogs and hamburgers honor those who died for our way of life? How does shopping for a new ceiling fan remember their sacrifice? The sad fact is..... it doesn't. Sadder still, my loyal reader, it seems that we don't care either. And for those of you that actually think that these people gave their lives in order for us to exercise our freedom to have Memorial Day barbecues.......your a lost cause and should stop reading this article right now. It won't do you any good and nothing ever will. Just go crack open another "All American" Budweiser... it will all be over soon.
It seems that the reality of the holiday is far too depressing for most of us. We'd rather enjoy a long weekend and go to a few get togethers than remember that people gave their lives in order for us to do just that. Our service men and women are the reason that we have the freedom of celebrations, but I do not believe that Memorial Day was intended as a holiday to celebrate... we seem to have forgotten how to remember. And our government, the very body that created a national holiday for this purpose, seems to have just as bad a memory as we do. Funding for families of our fallen soldiers has been cut year after year. Local districts that don't want kid's summer vacations shortened, inconveniencing their parent's scheduled plans have tried to omit (and in some cases succeeded) the three day Memorial Day weekend to accommodate their constituents. At the same time, while looking for funding cuts, they decide that they don't need a parade leading to a wreath laying ceremony this year while voting themselves salary increases. It was a contractional union thing..... really... we had to do it. Although some of these decisions have come under the fire of criticism, it hasn't changed the fact that these situations have taken place and little was done to avoid or rectify them.
The truth of our society lies within it's actions. We put on a good show with all our talk about our respect of our military, but when it comes to those who paid the highest price we choose to put on a shin-dig filled with liquid joy rather than attend a remembrance ceremony. We'd rather stuff ourselves until we fall asleep in our outdoor chaise lounges than face the fact that the children of the people who made the ultimate sacrifice are going hungry because our government has abandoned them. Instead of honoring the memory of our fallen by exercising the freedom they provided in a way that will better our fellow man, lets just shoot off some fireworks and hope that they can see them. Maybe that second degree burn will help ease your conscience. So before you chow down that burger that tastes like freedom or chug that beer that reminds you of patriotism, ask yourself what the families of the people this holiday was created for are doing..... the same? Or are they looking at pictures surrounding a triangle folded flag on their mantle while getting ready to go to the cemetery? Strictly an Observation. If you'll excuse me, Petco is having a Memorial Day doorbuster.
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