Monday, May 29th was Memorial Day in the USA. As I type this post, the sun is setting, and the day is not over yet. It is one of the holidays which leaves me feeling melancholy when everyone is expected to be ready to party.
Ostensibly, this is a day to remember those who died "serving their country" in America's various wars. These young men whose lives were cut short to serve the ambitions of old politicians are posthumously revered as martyrs in the holy cause of the civil religion. Some like to say war is the only thing governments do well, but even then, the pointless waste is appalling. Only a system funded by theft would be so wasteful, and only the most soulless would proclaim death in service to the State is the highest duty for the individual.
Like every holiday, Memorial Day has also been commercialized. Businesses run sales. People plan barbecues (or at least outdoor grilling) and picnics. Flags wave as people celebrate the unofficial start of summer. This dichotomy of festivities and remembrance of death bothers me in ways I find difficult to express coherently.
Let us remember those who died in war, yes, but we must stop allowing ourselves to be deceived into sending new generations to die again every few years as well.
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