We must do much more than remember on Memorial Day
I know many veterans who fought in Iraq (some twice). I see many veterans on the streets and parks in Downtown Houston. I have even spent some time outside the KPFT 90.1 FM radio station after one of my radio shows speaking to a homeless veteran (I only had five bucks in my wallet to give).
As I write this I am watching CNN with the headline “Memorial Day: U.S. Remembers Fallen Troops at Arlington.” General Dempsey says this day is set aside to remember. He is extolling all Americans to remember the families of the fallen and all the things they will be unable to do feel, see, or live. America the beautiful is being sung beautifully.
Defense Secretary Ashton Carter evokes President Kennedy about the pride, opportunity, and obligation to serve. He talks about our thoughts being with the fallen soldiers. He praises President Obama for supporting the fallen, the troops, and their families as he introduces the President.
The President, a great speaker as usual, touches on all the standard keywords and phrases highlighting all those that lost their lives in all of our many wars. His admonition to us all about our duty to the soldiers and their families is the meat. More than all the pomp and circumstance, how we treat the families of the fallen and those who serve is much more important than just remembering.
President Obama’s Memorial Day Speech snippet touches on our duty to our soldiers
We have a duty as a country to ensure that the families of all our veterans dead or alive are well taken care of. We have a duty to ensure that the VA Hospitals are not only the best in the world but can serve ALL veterans.
Those that fight to keep our Democracy and our way of life must be able to cash in that chip that allows them to live the kind of life they fought to preserve. Most importantly, those that have benefited the most from these warriors must pay their fair share to take care of them. The American plutocracy that continues to pilfer us by forcing low to no taxes as they loan us the money for the deficits created by low taxes and wars they profit from must be forced into compliance. It us our duty to do that.
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