Memorial Day—what do we celebrate?

By Otto

So being anti-war as I am, what is a good take for Memorial Day. Can this article be respectful of the dead without glamorizing imperialism?

Matthew Sterner-Neely, writing for Liberal America, said of this holiday:

"It is a noble and honorable thing to give one’s life in service to a cause greater than oneself. Most of the world, religious and secular, hold this value above all others, and we, as Americans, have a particularly special place in our hearts for those who have died in the cause of personal belief, whether it be a belief in country or in something else."

His article is mostly about the military and its fallen. So can we also include peace protesters who died over the years trying to defend peace. Take the Kent State incident, Monday, May 4, 1970. Four students; Jeffrey Glenn Miller; Allison B. Krause; William Knox Schroeder; and Sandra Lee Scheuer were shot dead. National Guardsmen had opened fire on a demonstration held by about 2,000 students.

Can we defend ALL those who have sacrificed their lives for the things they believe in? I hope we can. That is only fair. I don't agree with the wars we as a nation have been fighting, but I don't want to disrespect those who have died fighting for what they believe.