Saturday, November 12, 2011

Honoring our Veterans

Yesterday was Veterans Day. I know that it's also when the guns fell silent in WWI, but today that's mostly forgotten in popular culture*. No, today, we're told "it's the day where we're supposed to show our appreciation for veterans!"

Something about that statement bothers me. "Veteran's Day." A day to honor veterans. Kind of like Mother's Day, or Father's Day.

In theory, it's kind of a nice thought; however, in practice, it turns into a sop to those who don't want to be bothered the rest of the year. Most of the people I work with wear a poppy in their lapels on Veteran's Day, then talk about how horrible the citizens of (insert your choice of third world shithole we have troops in here) have it, and how awful it is that our soldiers are there shooting poor innocent civilians (who have AK-47s, a plan, and a refusal to follow the rules of war by wearing a uniform and not hiding in civilian populations).

So, vets from whatever war you served in (as well as those who've served in peace time), thank you. Thank you for your service, from one who was physically unfit, and is humbly grateful year round, not just on Veteran's Day.



*I blame public "education" for this, among other things.

5 comments:

  1. This creates a major conflict for me (and I suspect others too).

    I strongly support our troops, emotionally and financially (keep buying bullets!).

    I DETEST WAR!

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  2. OCM, I don't think anybody sane likes war. That's why I thank our troops (and any veterans I see) for standing between my family and those that would harm them.

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  3. My grandmother had a brother (he died before I was born) who was an infantryman in France during WWI (he was gassed - his lungs were always weak into adulthood - he died before his time of pneumonia). So I was always taught growing up what November 11th was for. (They USED to call it Armistice Day.)

    I've informed my students yearly as to why we observe this day, after one year walking into an argument on whether Nov. 11 was Veteran's Day or Memorial Day.

    War is hell, but winding up living under a dictatorial government - because no one wanted to stand up to a bully - would be a bigger hell.

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  4. There is no body sane in in DC.....

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  5. Ricki: THANK YOU!!! I only wish public education teachers were well enough educated to teach their students about that.

    OCM: alas, I believe you may be right.

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