Happy Birthday, America!

We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Happy?

I am mystified by all the people who have wished others "Happy Memorial Day" on facebook, twitter, store signs and more.

This is not the kind of holiday I think of in the same vein as Halloween, Thanksgiving, Easter, or New Year's.

Like Veteran's Day, it is a day to remember service and sacrifice. And while it is absolutely right to celebrate the fact that so many in this country have been willing to serve--even to the point of the ultimate sacrifice--so that all of us Americans, no matter who we are, can enjoy the same freedoms, it is wrong to celebrate without remembering.

People died in the service of this country. That's what today is all about--that's who we are remembering.

Is it a happy day? Yes, because we are able to enjoy those hard-earned freedoms. But that happiness is bittersweet. It came at a great personal price for a great many people. When the flag passed you by at the parade today, carried by proud veterans, did you bother getting up from your chair and saluting or clapping or singing along to the band playing "God Bless America?" An awful lot of people at the parade I attended couldn't be bothered.

So I'm just not sure that "Happy Memorial Day" is the way I want to be greeted.

God Bless America

"We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness."

May God bless all of us who defend, protect, and live in this wonderful nation, and may we never take our freedom for granted.

Proud to be an American

All the time. And it didn't take me 42 years to figure it out.

Rosemary has spelled out just a few of the reasons why she (and you and I) can be proud of our nation.

We truly are blessed. Shouldn't we want to support a candidate who understands this, and who makes sure his family does?

To Honor One Who Gave All

Please leave a note of condolences and prayers at this post. It is a virtual sympathy card for the family of a young American soldier who gave his life in the Middle East.
I don't know this young man or his family. Probably you don't either. But we all owe him a lot. Pray today for the repose of his soul and for consolation for his loved ones.

Memorial Day

Visit the group blog, G.I. June (Cleaver) for some thoughts on this observation. I hate to call it a "holiday" because that connotes picnics, not color guards.