MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND

It has been suggested, where I’ve forgotten, that Memorial Day should not be referred to as a holiday as many people have forgotten that it is a day to remember those who have gone on before us. Although one might think it is a day of celebration due to the “Memorial Day Weekend Sales”, trips to go boating, back yard gatherings for beer and barbecue and the list could go on and on.

One might agree unless they stayed home and watched television where most of the media, local and national devoted the majority of their air time on various gatherings to pay tribute to our Military services; men and women and their leaders both living, wounded and dead. Children who placed flags on the graves of fallen soldiers, a young man who is dedicating his time to catalog the tombstones, their names and exact locations on a computer database, a lady who takes the time to hand make teddy bears for the children who wait for their fathers to come home in a flag draped casket, the story of the man and his organization who offer Buglers to blow those special 24 notes at any military funeral and the PBS airing of the Memorial Day Concert. The list goes on and on.

So I would have to say that many people do celebrate the weekend, would that not be a fitting tribute? Would our deceased family members or military service persons prefer Celebration of Life to a more solemn day. I think they would prefer the celebration.

President Obama made several appearances over this special weekend. Many will say that he was campaigning, and will remember the flap over his not wearing the flag pen on his lapel. Maybe he was just following what is expected. It seems that whoever is president is expected to make these appearances. My opinion is that his activities of this weekend have probably matured the president significantly and hopefully will diminish the naiveté that he has so successfully previously displayed.

I would also like to mention the unusual anti-WBC protesters at Arlington Cemetery where the President laid the wreath on the Unknown Soldier. It is reported that the anti-protest protesters had among them members of the KKK. It’s an enigma.

My next blog will be my thoughts on our political system.