Veterans Day 2017

Veterans Day. Since 1776-ish, our neighbors, family members, and friends have volunteered and been drafted to protect the freedoms we enjoy. In the United States we think of our freedoms as rights – things we can do or not do simply because we breathe. We live in a bubble though and it’s a bubble that could burst at any moment because our government is made of human beings who have their own agendas and to whom we give enormous power. Around the world and throughout history, the freedoms we hold as rights are not common. In fact, we constitute a small minority of humans in the history of the world who have had such freedoms. Yes, others have similar ones and yet others have had them in the past, but many, many more have never had them at all. 

We are lucky, to be quite honest to have been born into or to have moved to this country which has had both our Constitution, and government officials who have respected the rights in that document and who have rarely, but with some notable exceptions, stayed within the boundaries of their offices. The freedoms we have are tentative and only exist because we as a country have insisted that they must. Over our history, there have been external threats to our freedoms as well. Tyrants and dictators have found it easy to subjugate entire peoples, enslaving, murdering, and oppressing entire sections of the globe; many continue to do so. Thank God we haven't had to endure such an evil.

Those who walk among us, who have worn a military uniform have contributed to maintaining our freedoms, our rights. One day a year we remember and thank those who have served, those who have died, and those who are still living as one large part of our communities. Restaurants will give some of them free or discounted food, stores will have sales, and politicians will make speeches. That’s all fine, even if it does seem a bit commercial and perfunctory. This year, try this: find just one of those old guys (and gals) wearing one of those baseball caps with all the stuff on it, and shake their hand, say thank you while you look at them, and maybe even buy their lunch. Do this in front of your kids and then explain why you did it when they ask you who that guy was.

You and your kids will be better people for it.