Memorial Day Thoughts

No one should dispute the importance of taking time on Memorial Day to think about our men and women in the armed forces, those whose lives have been lost in the past and those who currently risk their lives in serving our country. I certainly don't dispute that. However, cynic that I am, I can't help but wonder about some things...

• The fact that the policies of various adminstrations over the years have helped lead to the current quagmires in Iraq and Afghanistan that are -- in addition to the cost in lives, the long-term effects on injured veterans, veterans who suffer from psychological traumas, and the stresses on their families -- continuing to bankrupt our budget at a time when more money is needed for so many crucial problems.

• That while everyone talks about our troops fighting for us, fighting so we can enjoy the freedoms we have, etc., so many of these people refuse to accept the idea that we all should enjoy these freedoms (such as the freedom to marry the person you love, regardless of gender) equally.

• That too many self-serving hypocritical politicians insist that the idea of openly gay and lesbian personnel is somehow harmful to the military, even though other nations have gotten over it, even though many former and current soldiers have gotten over it, even though most of the people in this country have gotten over it. The much-hyped "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" repeal that is working its way through Congress isn't really a repeal -- it's a passing of the buck. There's a clause saying that it can't take effect until after a study is completed and after the president, the defense secretary and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff all sign off on it. And what is there to prevent the next administration from trying to reverse the decision? Nothing, from what I've heard.

• And when I see things like Major League Baseball stopping in the middle of their games for a video tribute instead of having a pre-game ceremony, having "God Bless America" sung during the 7th-inning stretch, and having those players wear specially-designed caps (one example pictured) -- with those same caps now on sale for a lot more than most of the other caps they sell (while $1.00 per cap is going to charity, what about the rest of the markup?) -- I just feel like their patriotism is more a combination of jingoism and a marketing scheme.

But hey, I'm just cynical that way. Your mileage may vary.