It Shouldn't Be This Way , Colbert I. King Wash Post:

[rasputin1952]

Don't the Fallen Deserve at Least a Moment?

By Colbert I. King
Saturday, May 27, 2006; A25



"Memorial Day Sale! Warehouse Is Stocked and Ready for Your Home"; "Memorial Day SALE plus EXTRA 15% OFF when you use your store card or pass"; "Memorial Day 1/2 Price Sale on Mattresses!"; "Memorial Day PIANO SALE"; "UNBELIEVABLE! STOREWIDE SAVINGS JUST IN TIME FOR THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND!"

-- Thursday newspaper ads

This cannot be what Maj. Gen. John A. Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, had in mind when he officially proclaimed Memorial Day on May 5, 1868. His thought, as best I can tell, was to set aside a day to honor the war dead. The true meaning of Memorial Day, however, has been overcome by door-buster sales, backyard cookouts and the opportunity to get a little extra sleep.

The fallen don't seem to mean much anymore except, perhaps, to veterans of previous wars and their families, and to the nearly 5,000 mothers and fathers of men and women in uniform who have given their all in Iraq. To those parents, please add surviving brothers and sisters, wives, husbands, children, grandchildren, cousins, aunts, uncles, nephews and nieces, neighbors and friends. If these folks happen to gather on Memorial Day, most likely it won't be to organize a shop-a-rama or barbecue. For them, Monday will be the time to remember loved ones who lost their lives serving their country.

The shame is that much of the nation won't be sharing this day of observance with those families. The shameless will be too busy with other pressing matters, such as:

· Taylor Hicks, the "American Idol" -- should he have really won out over Katharine McPhee?

· Rep. William Jefferson from New Orleans! Was he on the take?

More at link:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/26/AR2006052601547_pf.html

[JohnKleeb]

1. Always have enjoyed reading King

He's right. May the fallen be remembered and never forgotten.

[rasputin1952]

2. HI John...long time no see!!!!!

:pals: :hi:

[JohnKleeb]

3. I am mostly in the lounge now a days but I've always enjoyed

Mr. King's writings. One of my favorite op-eds in the Post. It really is a shame as King has said that Memorial Day has become about sales and stuff like that. It as he said doesn't have to be that way. We have to remember those who fell and those who came back to live another day. It truly is surreal being of service age in a time like this. I've had many people who were in Afghanstan and Iraq in my classes.

[proud2BlibKansan]

5. Kleeb!!!!

How goes it?

:hi:

[JohnKleeb]

6. Good

Can't help to think about my relatives who served on this day.

[SeattleGirl]

4. Excellent piece, Mr. King.

And he is absolutely right -- seems most people nowadays don't have the faintest idea of what Memorial Day is about.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

7. Gen. John A. Logan

was one of the better political generals of the Civil War. A Democratic Congressmen at the time of the start of the conflict, he was instumental in keeping Southern Illinois ("Egypt") on the side of the North. He was the first general given the nickname "Black Jack", because of his dark hair and complexion. After the war, he was the head of the GAR (Grand Army of the Republic). Supposedly seeing a memorial service at a cemetery in Carbondale IL is what moved him to create Memorial Day. There is a statue honoring him in Murphysboro IL, and a junior college in the area is named in his honor.

[madokie]

8. the only way to show respect to this old vet is to fight to stop this war

The day when President Carter pardoned the war dodgers was one of the happiest days of my life. with friends asking me aren't you disapointed they get off scott free. Not at all my reply, what we were doing was wrong and without them and the protesters we would probably still be there now.