Charlie Madison:
I don’t trust people who make bitter reflections about war, Mrs. Barham. It’s always the generals with the bloodiest records who are the first to shout what a Hell it is. And it’s always the widows who lead the Memorial Day parades . . . we shall never end wars, Mrs. Barham, by blaming it on ministers and generals or warmongering imperialists or all the other banal bogies. It’s the rest of us who build statues to those generals and name boulevards after those ministers; the rest of us who make heroes of our dead and shrines of our battlefields. We wear our widows’ weeds like nuns and perpetuate war by exalting its sacrifices….
My brother died at Anzio — an everyday soldier’s death, no special heroism involved. They buried what pieces they found of him. But my mother insists he died a brave death and pretends to be very proud. . . . [N]ow my other brother can’t wait to reach enlistment age. That’ll be in September. May be ministers and generals who blunder us into wars, but the least the rest of us can do is to resist honoring the institution. What has my mother got for pretending bravery was admirable? She’s under constant sedation and terrified she may wake up one morning and find her last son has run off to be brave.
“We perpetuate war by exalting it’s sacrifice.” Thus Memorial Day. Such a true statement!
I received this email today from an acquaintance- “Yesterday we attended a commemorative service at Clemson University for former students who have fallen in military action since @1900. The location on campus is called the Scroll of Honor; it’s in a garden where stones are placed, each imprinted with the name of a fallen student who attended Clemson. Up until yesterday 492 stones were placed.
Yesterday a 493rd stone was placed for Army Ranger Philip Porter who died last year in action. “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” Each stone at the Scroll of Honor commemorates someone who paid the ultimate price.” I say the ultimate price for enriching those that’ll never fight their own wars. “All wars are bankers wars.” Smedley Buttler
Even has a biblical quote to make it appear divine. Crock of sh*t!
You gave your life for unnoble cause, knowingly or unknowingly, yet you enriched some contractor, etc..
They have to dress it all up in goodness to distract from the reality they serve evil and tyranny.
Exactly Martist.
Bravery is admirable when it’s exerted in the right direction for the right purposes. The freedoms guaranteed every American is worth the bravery it will require to reinstate our law; the Bill of Rights.
Powerfully stated, Katie. Thank you!!
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