tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552422419133819877.post7857581177519007072..comments2024-03-13T14:21:41.243-05:00Comments on The Retirement Project: Memorial Day museTJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03459069175481821975noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552422419133819877.post-71944613522628255072016-06-21T01:02:34.314-05:002016-06-21T01:02:34.314-05:00Marine General Smedley Butler is worth a Google se...Marine General Smedley Butler is worth a Google search.<br />Having earned Two Congressional Medals of Honor, he wrote a book about why his troops went in harms way.<br />Yet, there seems to not be a memorial for the man.<br />I honor our servicemen , living and dead, by introducing Smedley Butler to as many folks as polite conversation will allow.<br />His book reveals a name which ties to those who lead us into the Middle East conflicts.<br /><br />Kindle has it for about $4. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08463751847427639558noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552422419133819877.post-82705931087782172482016-06-19T03:25:00.092-05:002016-06-19T03:25:00.092-05:00"Fear has become the mark of the true patriot..."Fear has become the mark of the true patriot"... I like that line a lot... Fits right in with where my thoughts have turned during the inevitable aftermath of Orlando.Joshhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17889245603749673068noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552422419133819877.post-12555735582473084822016-06-01T22:03:24.877-05:002016-06-01T22:03:24.877-05:00Robert my friend, I'm afraid you lost me a lit...Robert my friend, I'm afraid you lost me a little bit on that one. Of course "Memorial Day" is mostly about the dead; I'm pretty sure that's why it references "Memorial". But I can't imagine the dead would be offended by also remembering their brothers and sisters in arms who managed to survive. <br /><br />And about us liberals loathing things about America...after all this time debating with me and you still don't know anything about liberals? I loath sexism, racism, power politics, and stupid and senseless wars. I loath the degrading of teachers, the worship of greed and commerce, the abandoning of education, and the religious fundamentalism that threatens the future for all of us.<br /><br />But none of that makes me a liberal. I hope it does make me an American. But if doesn't, if America has abandon any pretense of striving for civil liberty, a functioning democracy, peace, and equal rights for all human beings...then perhaps I'm not much of American. But if America has abandoned those ideals, then it isn't much of a country any more either.<br /><br />Though this is a dark moment in the nation's history, there is a pretty good chance a new day is about to dawn. At the moment of course, there doesn't appear to be a lot of evidence that America is clinging too, or striving for, those things which made us a great nation. There is certainly no reason to think that reviving racism, sexism, religious fundamentalism, or making an open call for violence in the streets, is going to make us a great nation again. Nor will I try to dodge the reality. If the fact becomes that I can either chose to be a thinking, caring, compassionate, open minded human being with a care for the future OR I can be a patriotic American...I'll chose the former.<br /><br />It hasn't come to that nor, as I said, do I think it inevitable. There are a whole lot of young Americans, Americans of different ethnic and cultural backgrounds, Americans who don't worship guns, Americans who don't fear gay people, or Muslims, or put much stock in any particular god. They are not looking for the America that was, the America of Jim Crow, the "little woman", or the gilded age. They look for an America that can be. <br /><br />It may even be said that the hue and cry being raised by the racists, the sexists, the fundamentalists, the anti-education crowd, those who fear pretty much everyone and everything, and fear the future most of all, is a good sign. It is evidence that they know their days are numbered, that this is their last stand, and that soon they will be dumped on the trash heap that history holds for bad ideas.<br /><br />Memorial Day is a good day to think about what we can be, what we can do with the sacrifice others have made for us. It is a good day to honor the fallen by calling out those who would betray the future the country could have. It is a good day to say true Americans are not racists, are not sexists, don't love war and violence. It is a good day to say others have died to give us the chance to be a better people, to seek a better future; to embrace knowledge and compassion, learning and understanding, fairness, thoughtfulness, and wisdom. It is a good day to say "This is how we honor them." <br /><br />I'm glad to see that your travels are going well. Role reversal, you are on the move and we are sitting still, fixing the boat and trying to make things work so we can join you "out there". It is always good to hear from you. Fair winds and following seas...<br />TJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03459069175481821975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552422419133819877.post-66810419401772087692016-06-01T18:00:19.828-05:002016-06-01T18:00:19.828-05:00With all due respect, the friends you mention do n...With all due respect, the friends you mention do not deserve "this day," unless they gave their lives in service to this country. Memorial Day is not Veteran's Day or Flag Day or Armed Forces Day or VE/VJ day (which I'm old enough to remember when that was still a "thing" that got printed on the calendar). It's a day that began as a debt of gratitude to the Union dead of the Civil War, and has since become a day for remembrance of those who surrendered "all their tomorrows" when called to service by their country (FYI that even eventually included Confederate war casualties, as Congress formally recognized them as military veterans via an official act). Perhaps the 4th of July would be a better time for you to ruminate on things liberals loath about America. For now, I believe a simple "thank you for your sacrifice" to the families of the fallen would suffice, regardless of whether you embrace, empathize with, or even understand the beliefs they held that motivated them to serve. With warm regards...<br /><br />Rhonda & Robert<br />S/V Eagle Too<br />Pensacola, FL<br />www.LifeOnTheHook.comRobert Sapphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13609822978053443499noreply@blogger.com