Memorial Day

[Ray]

I have posted this on other forums - usually ones where some pretty vehement "discussions" are known to occur, but I thought it to be pertinent to our times, so thought I'd share it here, as well.

It is excerpted from a newsletter published by a friend who's a priest. Hope it doesn't bother anyone.

This weekend we celebrate Memorial Day. It is a time to remember those men and women who, over the last quarter of a millennium have served and sacrificed for the nation in which we live. Many gave the ultimate sacrifice, countless more returned from service broken in body and/or spirit.

This gives me pause to ask a simple question: Are we, as a nation, living together in a way that is worthy of their sacrifice? Did they serve so we could squabble and be as divided as we are? Did they leave safety for harm's way so we could seek to take advantage of one another and get ahead at any cost?

I wonder if those whom we honor were a jury and we were on trial if we would be worthy of their sacrifices. Perhaps we should resolve, while we remember, to be a better, more compassionate, more cohesive nation. Perhaps we should see our constant political, social, economic and community bickering as the shameful divisiveness it is. Maybe the best thing we can do as a nation this Memorial Day is to commit ourselves to be worthy of their service.