The question is: Why do we celebrate Memorial Day?
The answer is:
Memorial Day started off as a somber day of remembrance, a day where we in America go to cemeteries and place flags or flowers on the graves of our war dead. It is a day where we remember our ancestors, our family members, our loved ones who have given the ultimate sacrifice.
But now, too many people "celebrate" the day without more than a casual thought to the purpose and meaning of the day. How do we honor the 1.8 million that gave their life for America since 1775? How do we thank them for their sacrifice? We have 364 other days to celebrate and enjoy the freedom and life that we have because of their sacrifice. As Mr. Schelp says, "it's only by actions that we can repay those who have come before us." Let us take just one day to remember.
We need to put the "memorial" back in Memorial Day and observe the day as it was originally intended. We need to decorate the graves of the fallen, visit their memorials, and support the care of these cemeteries and memorials so that their ultimate price, their ultimate loss is not taken for granted. To honor our military dead does not validate war, leave that debate behind for just this day. Consider giving your support to restoring the traditional day of observance of Memorial Day to the 30th of May. "Changing the date merely to create three-day weekends has undermined the very meaning of the day. No doubt, this has contributed greatly to the general public's nonchalant observance of Memorial Day." -- VFW web site [www.vfw.com/amesm/memorialday.shtml], Feb 2002
The answer is:
Memorial Day started off as a somber day of remembrance, a day where we in America go to cemeteries and place flags or flowers on the graves of our war dead. It is a day where we remember our ancestors, our family members, our loved ones who have given the ultimate sacrifice.
But now, too many people "celebrate" the day without more than a casual thought to the purpose and meaning of the day. How do we honor the 1.8 million that gave their life for America since 1775? How do we thank them for their sacrifice? We have 364 other days to celebrate and enjoy the freedom and life that we have because of their sacrifice. As Mr. Schelp says, "it's only by actions that we can repay those who have come before us." Let us take just one day to remember.
We need to put the "memorial" back in Memorial Day and observe the day as it was originally intended. We need to decorate the graves of the fallen, visit their memorials, and support the care of these cemeteries and memorials so that their ultimate price, their ultimate loss is not taken for granted. To honor our military dead does not validate war, leave that debate behind for just this day. Consider giving your support to restoring the traditional day of observance of Memorial Day to the 30th of May. "Changing the date merely to create three-day weekends has undermined the very meaning of the day. No doubt, this has contributed greatly to the general public's nonchalant observance of Memorial Day." -- VFW web site [www.vfw.com/amesm/memorialday.shtml], Feb 2002
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