Memorial Day! Remember to remember. That's not as easy as it sounds for a lot of us.
In a world of facebook, twitter, templated blogs and such, memorial day takes on a different tone in my opinion. On the face, it is suppose to be a time to remember ones who have been lost and who may still be fighting in war. But how much can it really mean for someone who hasn't been there, and lets be honest, for many of us who have never taken the time to at least try to figure it out?
Interesting article:
http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2009/05/25/the-decline-of-veterans-in-washington/
On top of that, war is a complex thing. It involves an imminent loss of life. It involves the ultimate cost, and at the same time, the act of it has been beaten into the ground so many times in our country's (not to mention our world's) history.
So, instead of remembering to remember. Maybe lets try to remember to try to understand. Try to put our shoes in someone else's. You don't have to agree with past wars fought, but you can always better understand the constructs of them, the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of them, and most importantly, the human face behind them.
Below are easy-to-read wikipedia links on a few of our most recent wars. Feel free to take a gander...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Korean_War
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Vietnam_War
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