Memorial Day redux

I wrote this two years ago, which in itself boggles my mind, but since nothing much has changed since then, I thought it was worth reposting:

Any of you that know me know that I'm incredibly patriotic, almost to a fault. I get goosebumps when military aircraft fly over sporting events. I get incredibly angry when people are disrespectful during the playing of the National Anthem. I get all weepy-eyed when I hear songs like America the Beautiful (as sung by Ray Charles), Lee Greenwood's 'God Bless the USA', and even 'The Angry American' by Toby Keith. I cried when Congress sang 'God Bless America' on the steps of the Capitol after 9/11, as well as when two UGA grads waved a flag in Baghdad on Foxnews at 3 in the morning, while the Anchorman said 'How 'bout them Dawgs?'. I have an American flag pinned to my bookbag as well as one in the back window of my car and on my front porch. I've been to Ground Zero on the 4th of July, and to several rallies for our troops.

However, despite all of this, a lot of times I'm disappointed in myself. Today is one of those times. Despite the fact that it's Memorial Day -- a day supposedly set aside for the remembrance of those that gave their life defending this country -- the most patriotic thing I've done all day is watch a special about D-Day on PBS. The rest of my day consisted of going shopping, eating, going to a movie, eating again, and putting stuff in my room into a 'DC pile' and a 'Staying Home pile'.

I didn't visit either of my grandfathers' grave sites, despite the fact that one was a bomber pilot in the Pacific and the other was an artillery gunner in Europe during WWII. I didn't organize/attend any sort of gathering to commemorate the occasion, and quite honestly I haven't spend much time today thinking about the sacrifices of those that gave their lives for their country and mine.

This makes me feel kinda dirty, and in a way unworthy. It's not that I'm at all ungrateful or even lazy -- I think I'm just complacent.

It's because of the men who have died that I don't have to live in constant fear of attack or invasion by a hostile nation. It's because of them that I can go out and spend time with my friends and family in a peaceful nation. It's because of them I can read a book on virtually any subject from virtually any point of view, instead of government produced propaganda. It's because of them that I can speak German only if I want to, nicht weil mein Führer sagt mir ich muߟ. And it's because of them that I can sit at my computer late at night and bullshit stuff that people can read all over the world.

Someone a lot smarter than I (but incidentally with the same name), said as much, but with more eloquence:

It is the soldier, not the reporter,
who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the soldier, not the poet,
who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the soldier, not the campus organizer,
who has given us the freedom to demonstrate.

It is the soldier, not the lawyer,
who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the soldier,
who salutes the flag,
who serves under the flag,
and whose coffin is draped by the flag,
who allows the protester to burn the flag.
--Charles M. Province

Sometimes I'm simply amazed at the opportunities and luxuries afforded to me because of the sacrifices of men and women that never knew me, and that I've never known. Forgive me if it's too cheesy, but I can only hope that I'm living my life in such a way that would do their sacrifice justice. I can only hope that our country today is something they would be proud to have defended.

I like to believe that it is, but there are some aspects of our nation that worry me. The collapse of the family unit (as evidenced by the ballooning divorce rate, rampant illegitimacy, and the push for same-sex marriage), the decline of our entertainment standards to the point that popular shows consist of people eating horse rectum and sheep eyes, as well as the exponential dumbing-down of our children by a public school system so bent political correctness and not hurting anyone's feelings that history, the arts, and educational standards have given way to the likes of cultural relativism, pop culture, and social promotion.

No longer are children being taught of the challenges, sacrifices and triumphs of the generations before them. They're taught that our Founding Fathers were racist; and that while there are countries in the world that starve their own people to death and stone women for being raped, America is no better and they have to 'respect the beliefs' of these people, because there is no absolute right and wrong by which to judge such things.

No longer are they taught to aspire to the likes of George Washington, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Abigail Adams. Their heros are now people like Eminem, Tupac, and Paris Hilton.

No longer are children held to rigorous academic standards. Either the bar is lowered taccommodatete lackluster performance, or poor results are ignored altogether and children are advanced anyway in order to prevent from hurting their feelings or making them feel isolated from their peer group.

As this year's Memorial Day unceremoniouslyly comes and goes, I'm left with a few thoughts. First of all, the United States of America continues to be the sole true beacon of freedom, liberty, and opportunity in the world; and those that have given their lives in her defense are truly deserving of a hero's memorial.

Secondly, we have been entrusted with the survival of this beacon; and if we're not careful, its light could fade to the point where it is no longer visible and morally relevant. Not to be overly pessimistic, but looking at the current and future generation of Americans, I'm not convinced that we're up to the task. I'm not convinced that those generations quite understand what they've been given, and I'm not convinced that they would readily defend it -- or understand why it's worth defending -- should the challenge arise.

And finally, I'm not convinced that we're on the right path to justifying the sacrifice of those that gave their life defending our freedom. Given the current state and direction of our nation, would her former defenders be proud of their sacrifice, or would they feel misused?

I would much rather believe the former; but then Paris Hilton gets another TV show, and George Patton and Dwight Eisenhower roll over in their graves.

A lot of things have been pissing me off today...

If I can stay awake long enough, I will occasionally watch the Dai|y Show. Tonight was one such occasion, and it caused an usual rise in my blood pressure. Former vice president A| G0re was on the show discussing his new book, and made several allusions to the Bush administration blaming S@ddam Hussein's regime for the attacks on 9/11.

This has become a pet talking point for many liberals -- claiming that the Bush administration manipulated the American people into supporting the war in Iraq by placing blame on Sadd@m Hussein for the attacks of 9/11.

One inconvenient truth, if you will, is that this never happened. No one in the Bush administration ever said that anyone in the Iraqi government had anything to do with either the planning or the execution of the attacks of 9/11. It simply didn't happen.

Granted, a sizable amount of Americans thought/think that Iraq did have something to do with 9/11, but that's not because of the Bush administration. A quarter of Americans also think 9/11 was a government conspiracy. Just because people believe it, doesn't make it true.

Now, the claim was made that Iraqi government officials had contact with members of Al Q@eda and S@ddam Hussein has long been a well-documented supporter of terrorism, but never was the claim made by the Bush administration that there was any Iraqi involvement in 9/11.

In fact, if anyone can provide me with an example from a reputable source that anyone in the Bush administration ever did make the claim that Iraq had any involvement in the planning or execution of the attacks of 9/11, I will give you $100. No joke. Prove me wrong, and I will send you a check. On your mark, get set, go.

I should probably stop watching the news for a while

The headlines of late being what they are, I spend a great deal of time thinking of the challenges that face my generation. Iran is continuing to defy the world community with no real fear of penalty, Islamic militants continue to target our soldiers and innocent civilians in Iraq, millions of people continue to stream unchecked across our borders, government programs teeter on the edge of collapse because of the eroding tax base.

The general method my generation seems to be using to deal with these problems seems to be, well, ignorance. Not ignorance in the sense of being uneducated, but ignorance in the sense of ignoring vital issues in the hopes that they will somehow magically cease to be vital issues.

In dealing with Iran, the preference seems to be to defer the responsibility to an impotent world organization whose mode of operation consists mainly of toothless declarations and resolutions, half-hearted sanctions and general incompetence. Many seem bent on avoiding armed conflict at all costs -- apparently even if it means allowing a religious fanatic set on hastening Armageddon to acquire the most destructive weapons this world has ever known.

When it comes to Iraq, even though the casualty numbers are substantially lower than any other major conflict in which the U.S. has engaged, many have deemed the sacrifice unacceptable and seem perfectly contented with simply withdrawing and leaving the region to its own devices regardless of what broader consequences it could imply.

On immigration, we seemingly feel guilty asking people to come into this country legally and fairly, not to mention assimilate into our society.

Government programs such as medicare and social security are on the verge of collapsing under their own weight, but any effort to reform them is met with either a yawn or violent backlash against reform. People seem to be operating under the assumption that things will just continue to go the same way they always have, regardless of declining birth rates, increased numbers of recipients, etc.

We live in a country that has, in less than 250 years, become the single most powerful nation the world has ever known. But I'm afraid we've become victims of our own success. Americans, and Western people in general, are a comfortable people. We don't like to be bothered with unpleasantness. We would much rather leave others alone and be left alone rather than seek out confrontation. As social scientist Charles |\/|urray once said of socialist Europeans, "the purpose of life is to while away the time as pleasantly as possible." This sentiment is becoming increasingly applicable to Americans, particularly those under 35.

Our propensity to avoid all things uncomfortable has the potential to atrophy the American spirit. And that atrophy could then be exploited by those who wish to do us harm or simply exploit us. Most Americans likely have a hard time comprehending that there's a group of people that would happily detonate a nuclear weapon in one of our cities. But that is an issue that we're going to have to face -- hopefully before we see the smoldering ruins of an American city. (I have a particular existential interest in this, as the most recent tape released by Al Q@eda showed the Capito| building -- a landmark across the street from my office -- in flames.)

Most Americans also don't realize that American power is the only thing keeping the Middle East from totally erupting and that our presence there is for the good of our national security. If it seems chaotic now, just imagine what it would be like if they were left to their own devices. People like to claim that our presence there is actually aggravating the situation, but that just provides a convenient excuse.

On the subject of immigration, Americans are so afraid of being labeled bigots that they're afraid to stand up and demand that those who come here do so legally, and take steps such as learning English to better function in and contribute to our society. The fact of the matter is that an uneducated, easily exploited class of immigrants is a lose-lose situation for both the country and the immigrants themselves.

And Americans simply don't want to be bothered with the idea that our social programs are bankrupt and will require massive tax increases or devastating benefit cuts to remain (or even become) solvent. In its current form, social security is at a 3:1 payer to recipient ratio. That is to say, the benefits of one recipient are divided among three tax payers. When the program was first implemented, the ratio was somewhere in the neighborhood of 12:1. In the coming years, particularly when the flood of baby-boomers begins to retire, the ratio will drop to 2:1. Meaning there will be fewer tax payers to pay for an exponentially increasing bill.

Unhappy thoughts, all. But all issues that will need to be confronted sooner rather than later. I can't help but worry that we're going to wait longer than we can afford to confront them.

Our grandparents' generation came to be known as The Greatest Generation for stepping up when they were needed. I can only imagine what our generation will be called if we don't.

I don't know what you heard about me, but...

It was recently suggested that those interested blog about eight random facts about themselves. Since I am of weak mind and have no original ideas of my own, I'm happy to oblige. Although, given that it took me two tries to get to 50 and factoring in my general reluctance to talk about all things personal, eight more might be a bit of a stretch. But here goes.

1. I am the most inwardly competitive person I know. I don't yell at teammates or instigate trash-talking, but I have an incredible -- probably unhealthy -- desire to win. I also have an unhealthy tendency to take losses of any of my teams personally.

2. I haven't cried since June of 2004. There have been some close calls since, but it's just not something I do. There's a joke with one of the girls in my office that I'm just going to keep bottling up my negative emotions until one day I spill a soda and just totally lose it. Seems plausible.

3. For whatever reason, whenever I pick up my guitar, the first chord I play is usually a G. I think it has something to do with the fact that the first 'real' song I taught myself was 'Walkaways' by Coun+ing Crows, so it became habit.

4. Few things raise my blood pressure more than seeing Americans wave Palestinian flags. I was recently watching a documentary where a group of American college students were waving Palestinian flags at a protest. The sheer idiocy of that defies description. I nearly had to leave the room. Exactly which part of a society that straps explosives to children to kill civilians; oppresses women and minorities; and threatens the annihilation of an entire nation is worth a show of solidarity?

5. I spend what I believe to be an inordinate amount of time thinking of how my life would be different if I'd made different choices at various times in my life. Kinda like that Ash+on Ku+cher movie. I don't really know why I do it...I don't know that I would change anything. It's just something I do when I get bored. I feel like I made a lot of small decisions that turned out to be majorly life-changing, so it's just interesting to think about what would have happened if some of them had gone the other way.

6. Most every song I know reminds me in one way or another of someone that I know.

7. This one time, at band camp...ok, seriously. My junior year in high school, my room mate at band camp and I decided we were going to stay up all night the first night. It is easily the worst idea I've ever had. Or at least in the top 5. Marching around for 10 hours in f-ing Milledgeville, Georgia, in August, on no sleep, is probably in breach of the Geneva Conventions. It was one of the most miserable experiences I've ever had.

8. This past weekend I was asked out by a woman seven years my senior. I honestly don't expect anything to come of it, but the entertainment factor is priceless. In her defense, she asked before she knew the extent of my vibrant youth. Still provided a much-needed ego boost and a few giggles at the office.

Paris Hi|ton gets some good news...

Sure, you still have to deal with that burning sensation, but hey, at least it's not the plague!

Note: The doctor in the article is named Skip Virgin. Somehow that just seems wildly appropriate.

Are we really still talking about this?

I thought I would take a little time out of my lunch break to address something that has been causing proverbial blood to shoot out of my eyes over the last couple of days.

As you may or may not know, yesterday marked the four-year anniversary of President Bush declaring the end of so-called major combat operations in Iraq while standing in front of a now much-parodied banner that said "Mission Accomplished." Detractors of the war -- and the President in general -- often point to this moment in an attempt to discredit and generally ridicule the President and his supporters.

"We haven't accomplished anything," they say. They also point out that troops are still dying four years after the declaration of the end of major combat.

How selective our hearing, memory, and reasoning become when trying to exploit a political point. A little context would be ever so useful in this debate.

First off, it is certainly worth noting that the President's declaration took place on the U.S.S. Abrah@m Linco|n. This is noteworthy because said ship was returning to port after the longest mission of an aircraft carrier since Vietnam. A mission that they had accomplished.

Which brings us to the subject of the now-infamous banner. That banner was requested by personnel on the U.S.S. Linco|n. Granted, the White House went along with it, but what reason was there at the time to tell those sailors that they could not hang a banner stating that their mission had been accomplished?

It's also worth mentioning that the President's speech said nothing about any mission being accomplished. In fact, in his speech he only says the word 'mission' twice, and in both cases he says nothing about them being accomplished. Much to the contrary, he actually says the mission continues.

Most importantly, I would suppose, is the fact that the subject of the whole declaration was in reference to the war against the Iraqi army -- which by all account we demolished in record fashion. Even with that fact, the President said nothing about the job being done, easy, or quick. Here are some examples, however, of things he actually did say (emphasis mine):

"In the battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed. And now our coalition is engaged in securing and reconstructing that country."

"We have difficult work to do in Iraq. We're bringing order to parts of that country that remain dangerous."

"We're helping to rebuild Iraq, where the dictator built palaces for himself, instead of hospitals and schools. And we will stand with the new leaders of Iraq as they establish a government of, by, and for the Iraqi people."

"The transition from dictatorship to democracy will take time, but it is worth every effort. Our coalition will stay until our work is done. Then we will leave, and we will leave behind a free Iraq."

I could go on about the asininity of arbitrary withdrawal dates, the general laziness of many in my generation or the selective moral outrage so prevalent in today's politics, (i.e., We can't police a civil war in Iraq, but SUDAN?!?! THERE'S a civil war we can get behind!) but that will just have to wait for another lunch break.

As for now, anyone making political hay out of the anniversary needs to grow up, read a little recent history, and practice some intellectual honesty. Otherwise you're just embarrassing yourself.