On holidays like today the phrase "Freedom isn't Free" gets bandied about, but I believe there are very few Americans who really know what that means anymore. I'm sure I don't. I have never had to sacrifice anything to enjoy the liberties of being a citizen of the United States.
We are currently involved in a "War on Terror" operating in both Iraq and Afghanistan. This war has been going on for almost nine years and has led to the deaths of nearly 5,500 members of our armed forces. What do we have to show for it? I guess that will be up to the writers of history to decide.
Compare those 5,500 deaths to the American Civil War or World War II. Neither of those lasted longer than 5 years (with U.S. participation in the case of WWII) but resulted in 625,000 and 405,399 deaths, respectively.* War is now relatively safe for Americans (not safe for U.S. soldiers, or the people of Iraq and Afghanistan).
I do not write this to diminish the sacrifice of our soldiers, but rather to point out the hypocrisy of the civilian. Unlike with previous wars, the majority of us have not been asked to give up anything to conduct this war. There is no draft, no rationing, no victory gardens. In fact, there is only conspicuous consumption. I guess the powers that be have finally figured out that they can get more support when all it requires is a wave of a flag and a "God bless America". Hell, they didn't even have to raise taxes!
I apologize that this is such a downer of a post, and I have actually felt quite ill in writing it, but maybe that is appropriate. I do thank the men and women of the armed services whose sacrifices have allowed me to live as freely as I do and have ensured my freedom to write these words. But is it wrong (or just naive) to hope for a time when their deaths will no longer be required? To hope for a time when those deaths won't seem so pointless? To hope for a time when they can come home? I will never think it wrong to hope for such things or to verbalize that hope.
So, Happy Memorial Day. Here's hoping that it provokes reflection and true gratitude despite the gross commercialization and disrespectful glorification.
In writing this, I have no intention to offend. If I have done so, I beg your pardon and invite you to respond with your feelings about this subject.
*I went to a couple of different sources for the statistics including this report.
As Bob Dylan wrote, "Yes, and how many deaths will it take, till he knows that too many people have died?"
ReplyDeleteYesterday I thought of my family members who fought in World War II Thomas Jackson Langley, George Mamula, and Peter Mamula. I know that it sounds cliche but for the first time I wished I had talked with them about their war experiences. Uncle George loved to tell us about losing his sergeant stripes for gambling on the ship on his way home but that was it.
None of them ever spoke of places they had been or things they saw. The only way we know they had first hand experience at war was by the medals we found after their deaths. The thought of these men with big hearts watching people be killed or possibly killing some one is heartbreaking.
Unfortunately, the destruction of the war does not end with the Iraqi's , Afghan's. and Military who have died. It continues to take its toll on the soldiers who come home but are unable to return to their former lives. The men and women who find solace in drugs and alcohol. The children who will grow up without a parent or parents. Just as with Viet Nam another generation has been scarred by war.
Hopefully, those who make the decision to send our youth to war will have spent Memorial Day trying to make sense of it and come to the realization that there is no sense to be made.