Memorial Day honors those who served and died for their country. Most of them, when you think about it, were not much more than children. Young boys who heard the call of their nation and responded with their lives. Young men and women — Black, white, brown and every color I may have failed to mention. Older still — officers, NCOs, even a general or two who died on the fields of battle.
In their honor we built national cemeteries, statues, and monuments. We honor those who sacrificed everything. Many were foolishly brave. Most were probably scared — who wouldn’t be. But they did their duty and made their families proud.
I salute every one of them.
You may notice the published date and wonder why this is being written a day late. It’s late on purpose. I didn’t want to take anything away from the honor owed yesterday.
But their sacrifice is also part of today’s commentary.
Not a single one of them asked to have their name engraved on a monument. Not a single one asked for a statue erected in their image. Not a single one wanted anything other than to serve their country and come home to the people they loved. Almost all of them did come home — in a body bag. Others were buried on foreign soil with all the dignity and respect deserved, having died not only for our freedom but for the freedom of people they had never met.
For those who didn’t know — the soldiers buried on foreign soil have their headstones facing west.
Facing home.
They didn’t ask for monuments. They didn’t ask for arches. They most certainly did not ask for ballrooms.
We are living in strange times governed by strange people who can only think of themselves. And those same people seem to believe they deserve monuments — for what exactly? Bravery and service? Bone spurs?
Others in their cabinet dishonored the sailors resting at their tomb by snorkeling over it. I’m sure they didn’t think of it as walking on someone’s grave. But when you reach certain levels of government ignorance is no longer an excuse. They are rewriting history. Turning insurgents into heroes. Turning murderers into heroes with immunity. Stealing us blind without care or concern for anything beyond their own pockets and egos.
And they want monuments built to themselves.
They want the history books changed. Their crimes removed. Airports renamed. The Kennedy Center. The Lincoln Memorial bathroom probably next.
So I suggest — because I am only me and can demand nothing — that when this is over, when the dust has settled and the orange foundation has been washed clean, we follow a simple example.
We rewrite history too.
Trump needs nothing more than a footnote. A warning label. Everything he and his family of cohorts stole — taken back. Liquidated. Put into something meaningful. The Treasury perhaps. Or a charity that actually serves the people he pretended to serve.
Don’t allow his name on anything. Tear down anything built in his image. Restore the Oval Office. Don’t hold a yard sale — burn it.
Let the Trump legacy be nothing.
Nothing at all.
We don’t need a monument to remember this lesson. We don’t need a reminder carved in stone.
This one will be DNA.
Let that be how we actually honor the ones who earned our respect.
A Day Late — On Purpose
A Day Late — On Purpose
Memorial Day honors those who served and died for their country. Most of them, when you think about it, were not much more than children. Young boys who heard the call of their nation and responded with their lives. Young men and women — Black, white, brown and every color I may have failed to mention. Older still — officers, NCOs, even a general or two who died on the fields of battle.
In their honor we built national cemeteries, statues, and monuments. We honor those who sacrificed everything. Many were foolishly brave. Most were probably scared — who wouldn’t be. But they did their duty and made their families proud.
I salute every one of them.
You may notice the published date and wonder why this is being written a day late. It’s late on purpose. I didn’t want to take anything away from the honor owed yesterday.
But their sacrifice is also part of today’s commentary.
Not a single one of them asked to have their name engraved on a monument. Not a single one asked for a statue erected in their image. Not a single one wanted anything other than to serve their country and come home to the people they loved. Almost all of them did come home — in a body bag. Others were buried on foreign soil with all the dignity and respect deserved, having died not only for our freedom but for the freedom of people they had never met.
For those who didn’t know — the soldiers buried on foreign soil have their headstones facing west.
Facing home.
They didn’t ask for monuments. They didn’t ask for arches. They most certainly did not ask for ballrooms.
We are living in strange times governed by strange people who can only think of themselves. And those same people seem to believe they deserve monuments — for what exactly? Bravery and service? Bone spurs?
Others in their cabinet dishonored the sailors resting at their tomb by snorkeling over it. I’m sure they didn’t think of it as walking on someone’s grave. But when you reach certain levels of government ignorance is no longer an excuse. They are rewriting history. Turning insurgents into heroes. Turning murderers into heroes with immunity. Stealing us blind without care or concern for anything beyond their own pockets and egos.
And they want monuments built to themselves.
They want the history books changed. Their crimes removed. Airports renamed. The Kennedy Center. The Lincoln Memorial bathroom probably next.
So I suggest — because I am only me and can demand nothing — that when this is over, when the dust has settled and the orange foundation has been washed clean, we follow a simple example.
We rewrite history too.
Trump needs nothing more than a footnote. A warning label. Everything he and his family of cohorts stole — taken back. Liquidated. Put into something meaningful. The Treasury perhaps. Or a charity that actually serves the people he pretended to serve.
Don’t allow his name on anything. Tear down anything built in his image. Restore the Oval Office. Don’t hold a yard sale — burn it.
Let the Trump legacy be nothing.
Nothing at all.
We don’t need a monument to remember this lesson. We don’t need a reminder carved in stone.
This one will be DNA.
Let that be how we actually honor the ones who earned our respect.
The ones whose headstones face west.
Facing home.
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