Wiston Papers

Memorial Day 2012

     The Memorial Day Weekend is considered by many as the traditional start of the Summer season.  A time for parades, picnics, visits to cemetaries, or just a moment of simple, quiet reflection.

    This is appropriate.  The weekend should be a time for enjoyment and recollection.  A celebration of who we are and what we have accomplished.  A tribute to those who have died in service to our nation and thoughts of those who continue to make a difference in so many ways.

    America has been involved in 35 wars or military conflicts since her birth.  Add to that number the places and times when men and women have died while in uniform, and the number totals nearly 75. Hundreds of thousands of men and women have died in fighting for their nation.  Whether the 625,000 who perished in the Civil War, the half-a-million who died in two World Wars  or the relative handful who fell in Panama, Grenada and Bosnia.

    Warfare has been part of our statehood since the nation was formed.  Scholar Francis Fukuyama has documented the rise of modern national political structures worldwide as a direct result of the perceived need for military adventure.

    Regardless of how one perceives the necessity or wisdom of war, every victim is a hero and we are obligated to remember them as such.

    America is a nation of heroes but they do not all wear military uniforms:

This weekend we should pause a moment to thank all the teachers who have answered the call to inspire, motivate, educate and elevate a new generation of Americans.

This weekend we should pause a moment to thank all the religious leaders who remind us of our moral and ethical standards that  embrace our humanity.

This weekend we should pause a moment to thank all the public servants who patrol our neighborhoods to secure our homes and well being, who battle blazes to save property and lives, who clean our streets and dispose of our abandoned and discarded possessions.

This weekend we should pause a moment to thank all the doctors who battle disease and repair injured bodies, the nurses who nurture and give care to healing patients, physical therapists who help restore broken spirits and teach how to use artificial limbs.

This weekend we should pause a moment to thank all the volunteers who give of their time, energy, emotions and love both at home and abroad to improve the quality of lives at all levels.

And especially this weekend we should pause a moment to thank all the parents and extended families who find countless ways to express their love and to pass to the next generation the lessons of civility, generosity, dedication, patriotism and commitment to a better world.

This list is sadly short and incomplete.  There is neither time nor space here  to acknowledge everyone.  But each of us in our own way can complete the list.  We can thank those who came before, who continue to make a difference today, and have paved the path for future generations.

   

   

Steve Coon

May 27, 2012