"The Non-Sense We Call Memorial Day"

[Matariki]

http://dogobarrygraham.blogspot.com/2010/05/nonsense-we-call-memorial-day.html

War veteran and Zen teacher Harvey Daiho Hilbert Roshi writes:

On my mind is the non-sense we call Memorial Day, the slick shift in language calling every soldier and sailor a "hero," and the deceitful and manipulative bended knees and lowered heads as we "recall" our lost ones for a moment or two between beers and sales.

Real heroes are the quiet makers of peace; those who say no in the face of the charge to insanity, and those who use their heart/mind to resolve a conflict.

[patrice]

1. Many mean well, but they get it wrong. That's profoundly sad. I mourn their lives, but I will NOT

celebrate the thing that did it to them, or, more precisely, helped them do it to themselves and INNOCENT others.

[pinboy3niner]

5. Yes! Mourning their loss is NOT celebrating the policy that led to their sacrifice

We should have learned by now to separate the war from the warrior.

Despit the assertions of apologists for the anti-Vietnam War movement, the troops then often WERE mistreated. The leading apologist book is full of holes--especially in its assertion that peace activists couldn't have had access to military airports to accost the troops. The truth is that troops returning from the war and released from service or going home on leave went to CIVILIAN airports to go home--and some antiwar activists, in their passionate opposition to the war, blamed and accosted the troops.

Today, how can we blame these mostly-young troops? They may be young and politically unsophisticated, and believe government propaganda because they really don't know any better. They may enter service because of economic circumstance or because of idealism--they want to do the right thing. And they put their lives on the line to do it.

The "bended knees and lowered heads" that the OP article disparages are entirely appropriate. We should recognize and honor the sacrifice of these men and women who volunteer to serve, for whatever reason. If somebody wants to attack someone, that's the LAST place you want to go.

[patrice]

11. There's also the point that this current Hell did NOT just happen all by itself. As much as I hate

it, this is "our" war and as much as I work hard to stand independently for what I know is right and true, I AM part of a collective known as America.

Though there are indeed much more guilty Major Actors than you or I, what is messed-up about our whole situation currently is what is messed-up about us too. And as much as I claim the right and responsibility to stand for what I know as right (something known in some quarters as "the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ") with the full strength of my conviction in that truth, I cannot claim that responsibility unless I yield it also to any honest others, different though they may be from me.

And IF they are honest, they must also yield the same right to stand for truth which they claim to me too, different though I may be from them, for either of us to do otherwise is not "a right" at all, but a privilege, something that I yield to no one and something I expect none others to yield to me.

[pinboy3niner]

12. And they, though they may disagree with us, are courageous and passionate...

enough that they are willing to put THEIR lives, THEIR blood on the line.

How many of us can claim that? Our fight is not with THEM.

We can oppose the policy, and at the same time honor those who risk ALL, even if we view them as misguided. And don't forget that, when the other shoe drops, many of THEM will be joining us.

[patrice]

14. Agreed. And I hope it is known that amongst those more like me it is no less common to

put our lives and our blood on the line in a different way.

This isn't just stuff I and those like me say; we are learning to live it in every breath, every action we take. For example, I am fortunate enough, in particular, to be in a situation in which my understandings of these things has a direct effect upon what happens to many others.

[county worker]

24. I don't even have to read the post below to know you are going to catch hell.

I was spat on but the real crime is that people here think they can write the history of the past from today's perspective never having to live that history.

[pinboy3niner]

27. I hear you, Brother

But I also tend to give the benefit of the doubt to my fellow DUers.

If I "catch hell" from a few, so be it. That's why we come here--to discuss and debate. That freedom is important, and I wouldn't have it otherwise.

We each have our own experience, and we're free to tell it here. That's all that I could ask--freedom of expression. If some might challenge us, it's up to US to do our own truthtelling. We may or may not prevail, but at least we have the opportunity to have our say.

:patriot:

[Old Troop]

2. I strongly disagree. Had the Civil War not occurred, when would slavery have ended?

Had we not participated in WWII German industrial genocide would have completed its work and Imperial Japan would have enslave most of Asia.

[Matariki]

35. I think that's covered in the sentiment:

"those who say no in the face of the charge to insanity"

[Biker13]

3. Fine.

Than those like Biker13 who served our country honorably, should just be forgotten.

Next time, they should just walk away.

This post makes me sick.

Biker's Old Lady

[pinboy3niner]

28. "Old Lady," Dear Lady, thanks for standing up

I'm sure Biker 13, if he were around, would have some choice words to say about this (LOL!).

Thanks again for standing up for those who put THEIR blood, and THEIR lives, on the line. Whether or not they are right in their commitment is beside the point. They SERVE, and they (and their families) suffer and sacrifice. NO ONE can deny them that.

[AsahinaKimi]

4. hmmm

Novelist, poet, screenwriter, journalist and Zen teacher. Born in Glasgow, Scotland, and now based in Phoenix, Arizona.

[butterfly77]

6. That everybody..

is a hero shit has always bothered me...

[thelordofhell]

7. God bless our soldiers.......God damn our wars

:hippie:

[Poiuyt]

8. Mr. Fish cartoon from another thread:

[gratuitous]

9. Destroy the heretic!

This is the Chosen People of the Promised Land of the High Church of Redemptive Violence. We teach our young from the cradle that violence is the noblest, holiest method of resolving conflict. Violence will drive out and redeem violence. Questioning or refraining from war denigrates every hero who ever donned the uniform. For heroes they are. They must be. Without qualification or exception. As the poet said, "Look at all we've won with the saber and the gun"!

[wmbrew0206]

10. Unfortuantely the soliders, sailors, airmen, and Marines do not get to chose the wars they fight in.

There are wars that almost everyone agrees need to be fought (WWI & WWII & Korea). Then there are the ones that there is still great consternation about their necessity. Please remember that the military service members do not have a choice in which wars they serve. They are needed in the wars everyone agrees on and the ones that everyone does not.

Which one they ended up fighting in is left up to others, so please just honor the fact that they were willing to serve in either.

[Arugula Latte]

13. They shouldn't sign up in the first place.

If nobody joined the military, they wouldn't be able to wages these fucking bloody wars for corporate profit.

When was the last time the U.S. military truly "defended" this country? I don't recall any imminent invasions in the past several decades.

Edited to say: Obviously this only applies since the draft has been abolished.

[USArmyParatrooper]

15. Wow, that's genius

Name ONE country who's military is even capable of attacking the US on our soil.

::::: crickets ::::::

Now what would make such an endeavor so futile? I just love your logic.

The US military acts as a deterrent from an invasion. No invasion happens, thus, we don't need a military.

[Arugula Latte]

16. It's ruining us.

The military budget is ludicrous. We're turning into a third-rate nation (what are we, 44th on the list or something in child mortality? The horrible statistics go on and on ...) because the military sucks up all the money that could be spent on making this country so much better than it is.

I was exaggerating, but I do think we should slash the military down to a small fraction of its current size. The money suck and the mass murder of brown people done in our names are absolutely abhorrent.

[USArmyParatrooper]

18. Nice to see the goal posts moved

From we shouldn't have a military to there should be "less" willing to lay their lives on the line for you to insult.

As much as repeating the "mass murder of brown people" mantra fits your false narrative, we have tons of "brown people" serving in the US military. Were the Serbs in Kosovo brown? Were the Germans brown? I mean, since you're implying it's some kind of race war. As a matter of fact, I have actually gone on missions side-by-side with "brown people" in Iraq, i.e. Iraqi forces.

[Arugula Latte]

32. We slaughtered tens of thousands of Iraqis.

Nothing will ever justify that.

We're raised on propaganda that the U.S. military is always a force for good. Bullshit. It is a tool for corporate gain. The brown people are collateral damage -- the corporate captains don't give a crap about them. I'm tired of the way we're automatically supposed to fall in line behind this tremendous waste of money and innocent people.

[USArmyParatrooper]

33. How about you start addessing your contradictions.

You yourself admitted you wouldn't totally disband the military. So you recognize the necessity of having one, which means by default you recognize that service members are also necessary. Thank God we have people willing to accept great personal sacrifice to do a job you would hate, and admit is necessary. And as a cherry on top you get to make condescending, insulting remarks about them.

[wmbrew0206]

21. If you want to argue about the size of the military budget, blame Congress.

The military does not get anything without Congress approving it. If that is your major concern I would suggest that you blame them and not the military over spending.

[pinboy3niner]

17. "They shouldn't sign up in the first place."

Do you expect some 18-year-old kid, who has no employment prospects, not to be tempted by a regular paycheck? Your scenario of nobody joining up is ludicrous. Even YOU know that's not realistic.

The point of the OP article seems to disparage the heroism of troops in combat, and to celebrate the "heroism" of antiwar activists.

The question posed is, how do you feel about THAT?

[USArmyParatrooper]

19. 18? Hell I was 29 when I went in

When people join at 18 or 19 the vast majority of the time their parents are heavily involved in their decision. Many people join for many different reasons, but almost nobody is going to join if they're ideologically opposed to the idea. They don't need an excuse.

[pinboy3niner]

22. I'm not sure if your point is to agree or disagree with me

In any case, thankyou for your service. I suspect you are not really disagreeing, but I could be wrong. And, it's possible you have a more nuanced view. My service was decades ago, so I look to recently- and currently-serving troops to enlighten me.

[USArmyParatrooper]

29. I think my post came out wrong

It probably looked like I was sharpshooting you, but I wasn't.

[wmbrew0206]

20. I think you missed the point of my post.

Over the course of the last 60 years there have been wars that most would agree needed to be fought.

I think most people would agree that the first Persian Gulf war was the example of why and how a war should be fought. Iraq illegal invaded its neighbor and the world community came together to fight a war with a very limited objective of expelling the Iraqi Army from Kuwait and disabling the it from doing it again. The war was short and once the Iraqis were pushed out of Kuwait, most of the forces returned home.

If nobody joined the military, the world community would not have had the ability to accomplish this. The same thing could be said about Kosovo. And I wish we could same the same about Rwanda.

When you join you never know what you will ended fighting in. For every Iraq veteran there is a WWII or Kosovo veteran. The military doesn't pick its fights, the government does.

To try and trash Memorial Day when we still have one WWI veteran left and so many WWII, Korea, Kosovo, and Persian Gulf veterans is disgusting. These are men and women who charged into battle knowing that they stood a very good chance of never coming home to ensure that others (and the US) maintained their freedoms. They deserved to be recognized and honored. As do Vietnam, OEF, and OIF veterans. While we may not agree with WHY they went, we can thank them for obeying their civilian commanders that sent them there.

[pinboy3niner]

25. + 100

Of course, even some of the wars you cite will be challenged as "unjustified." But that really doesn't matter. For WHATEVER reason the troops come to enter the military, their selfless suffering and sacrifice cannot be denied.

You and I understand what that REALLY means. And I'm proud to join you in objecting to anything that would disparage our war dead.

I would have thought that, after all of our experience and history, we would have learned, finally, to separate the war from the warrior. Sadly, it appears that we still have work to do--and miles to go before we sleep

:patriot:.

[Heidi]

31. Many are conscripted by poverty.

It's a shame young people often have to bet their lives in order to get an education or make a living.

[proteus_lives]

23. Horseshit.

I'm glad I spent time with my Veteran father on Memorial Day.

He's a hero to me.

[TexasObserver]

26. Blessed are the peace makers.

I honor our war dead, but I don't forget that many of them died for unworthy causes foisted by greedy companies and evil politicians.

[Obamanaut]

30. I believe the concept of Memorial Day is not to honor war, but rather

to remember the sons, daughters, fathers, cousins, siblings, and all others who died in one. I would imagine that every single one who died left behind someone who loved them, and that, IMHO, is the reason for Memorial Day.

If you dislike the idea, then by all means do not observe Memorial Day.

[chrisa]

34. Sometimes peace is impossible.

When people like Hitler are in charge.