Today is the day we Americans set aside as “Memorial Day”. A day we remember our military veterans, and thank them for the sacrifices they made to protect the freedoms we celebrate as Americans.
Much ado as made in various ceremonies around the country about American Values, and our constitution, and our unique Bill of Rights, and the fact that the members of our military sacrifice much to protect these uniquely American things. The sacrifices made are not always “the ultimate sacrifice”, but are often more grueling things like absence from family for extended periods of time, working 18 and 20 hour days for what amounts to mere pennies per hour, under conditions that would be illegal were they suffered by a worker for any other American company.
Some things to ponder though, beyond the generalities of our Bill of Rights and constitution is that things we think are protected are often magnets for controversy:
- We still fight daily for the rights of all Americans to love and marry whom they please
- Women are once again under fire about abortion and equal pay
- The State of Florida is once again purging voter rolls indiscriminately and disproportionately purging minority voters
- The leading Jewish Synagogue in Miami rescinds their speaking offer to Debbie Wasserman, president of the Democratic National Convention because she wants to talk about Israel.
- President Obama continues to lets his States District Attorneys run roughshod over local states and communities regarding medicinal pot
- Our leaders freely admit that torture was used and is likely still being used on our military prisoners of war in Guantanamo Bay.
- 70% of our young black men under age 25 are unemployed. Can that be purely coincidental?
- The number of white men and women in our prisons is only 10% that of blacks and hispanics.
Were you to view the Five O’Clock news from most any other country around the world, you would see the United States of America discussed in the same tone of voice as we hear when our news commentators discuss Syria or Rwanda or even China.
While I am grateful that I am an American Citizen, I am simultaneously somewhat ashamed. We advertise ourselves as the greatest nation in the world, but often we fail to act great, and collectively we seem to have installed a most remarkable collection of boneheads as our government.
I hope we can do better, and be as great as we claim in future years.