Decoration Day

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.