This is written by an Iraq War Veteran. He is still hospitalized and recovering from injuries he received during his deployment. He writes under the moniker ReasonOne at the Coalition for a Democratic America and at Sirens Chronicles. We are proud, at Sirens, to feature his writings and those of another veteran from a different war Big Fella.
Well it's Memorial Day and once again the American people are planning bar-be-ques, rushing to beaches, planning picnics and preparing gatherings with family and friends. The politicians are finding new and more obnoxious ways to manipulate the day for their own ends. And if this day had any significant meaning beyond personal enjoyment and political exploitation one would never know it.
The last knew the purpose of Memorial Day is to remember the service and sacrifice of America's Veterans. But as the years have passed we have forgotten that military service often means the deaths of those who serve and in our society we don't like to think about the idea of death and our wonderful Demander and Thief hasn't helped the situation any.
Let's face it. This Administration has done everything in its power to avoid discussing the tragedy which is the Iraq War. Our President refuses to attend funerals. The only time that he visits Iraq is when he can exploit soldiers. Here at home the only time that he speaks before troops and Veterans groups are when he wants to boost his sagging approval ratings.
The idea that we have a president who does nothing to elevate the significance of Memorial Day during a time of war is beyond the pail. With more than 4,000 dead and several thousand wounded, one would assume that our warmonger of a president would do SOMETHING to restore the spiritual relevance of this day, but that would require a certain degree of spirituality on the President's part and I think we can all agree that this president lacks anything that even remotely resembles spirituality.
Without viable leadership coming from the top the job of reviving the status of Memorial Day falls on Veterans and family members. And while they do an admirable job, the President and his ilk in Washington could still do more to emphasize the tragedy associated with war. But to do so would be an admission that our arrogant, warmongering president is trapped in a Catch 22 situation of his own creation. If he tries to remind the American people of the real purpose behind this day he can't help but remind the American people about the 4,000 + dead soldiers and thousands of wounded he has created. Reminding people of the dead and wounded he created is the only way that he can revive the true spirit of Memorial Day.
So what do we have? We have a situation in which an important American Holiday has devolved into a shallow, commercial festival. The memories of our troops have taken a backseat to steaks, brats, chickens, and superficial political speeches. Somehow I don't think this is what it's all about..
