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Veteran’s Day shares some characteristics with other American customs. Over the years our collective response to the original sentiment and purpose of such occasions has either dwindled or been overshadowed by commercial interests. It would not be unfair to suggest we have all but ignored or abandoned many principles which made this country great.

Surely, at the top of that list of principle, purpose and sentiment resides the legacy and ultimate sacrifice of American men and women who served or are now serving their country as members of the United States Armed Forces. Those who are held in esteem by their fellow countrymen and regarded as heroes will be the first to dismiss that distinction and place it solely with the fallen. Most have been heard to say ‘ I was only doing my job’ and/or ‘those guys are the heroes’, referring to comrades who died in battle.

Is it too much to ask then that we afford this solemn event the honor and respect it deserves? Can we not further and more properly respond on to this occasion with a promise to the Military Veterans of this nation that we will correct what is wrong and repay the debt we owe for their service that maintains our freedom?

If these questions cause you to feel shameful for the lack of attention that has been given to these matters then you are a reasonable person. Reasonable people should be able to set aside petty differences and do what is right. You are all aware of current events and the distance it can place between us. That is a lame excuse for doing little or doing nothing. The gifts bestowed upon us by the sacrifice of others is not something that can be ignored while touting the greatness of the land of the free and home of the brave. All the symbols and doctrines of this country are empty platitudes if those who serve are met by an ungrateful nation. You need not look far to find examples of how we have let them down. It is beyond time to correct this. And there is no better time to start then Veteran’s Day.

After the events and memorial proclamations have concluded we would do well to take up the cause of American Military Veterans and provide the means necessary for them to return to life before their service as well as we can. Other posts on this site related to Veteran’s Day echo this call for action. We are all guilty of neglecting this responsibility and the time is long overdue that we correct it. Please at least contact your elected representatives and urge them to do the right thing. After some time passes and it still isn’t fixed. Call them again.

Trackposted to Outside the Beltway, Faultline USA, third world county, DragonLady’s World, Pirate’s Cove, The Pink Flamingo, Big Dog’s Weblog, The Bullwinkle Blog, Cao’s Blog, and Leaning Straight Up, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

This entry was posted on Sunday, November 11th, 2007 at 5:15 pm and is filed under wordpress, ethics, United States, Military. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.