Let’s not politicize a solemn day
To the Editor
I was put off last week by a local political committee advertising their party’s participation in a local Memorial Day parade by suggesting everyone wear that political party’s color ...at an event that is meant to commemorate our nation’s brave service personnel who have died in battle.
Bro: It’s not a free ad event for your political party, it’s a day set aside to RESPECT our nation’s military fallen. On this day we honor those women and men who died in the service of this great nation. Period.
“Veterans’ Day,” occurs in November. Thank a living vet every day of the year, but on Memorial Day, our thoughts and our memories should be only with those American soldiers who sacrificed their lives while serving us all.
To celebrate any living person with the flag of the United States of America on Memorial Day is enormously disrespectful to those military fallen who died defending it.
And please: Don’t greet others with “Happy Memorial Day.” The holiday is about solemn respect, it’s not celebratory. It’s a time to reflect on the sacrifices made by others so that we can enjoy these sacrosanct freedoms which we all share here today, in America, regardless of which side of the aisle we claim as our own. Neither service nor sacrifice recognize political delineations, so please put “all that” aside on this one day of remembrance. This is no time for politics.
Over a million American soldiers have died in combat events for this country so that we can enjoy weekends like this one. Don’t dishonor them by flying flags for living and/or non-military persons.
Let’s all earn those real sacrifices borne by our military’s fallen by never forgetting them.
On Memorial Day let’s remember what was sacrificed so that we might enjoy this day of rest, barbeques, parades and that most American of Memorial Day traditions, Motorcycle Runs.
Enjoy those burgers, those beers, and that warm time together with family and friends.
The tab was covered by the sacrifice of our fallen, Let’s keep them always in our hearts and minds ... as one nation.
Jay Westerveld
Sugar Loaf