There will be no moment of silence for the women who are raped, assaulted, and brutalized during war.
There will be no moment of silence for the innocent children who become refugees as their homes and schools are bombed to pieces.
There will be no moment of silence for those young soldiers who go off to war and end up committing suicide.
There will be no moment of silence for the men who go off to war and come home with PTSD. Or, the men who become conscientious objectors or war resisters.
Or, the soldiers who return home and do everything they can to raise their voice and demand that these wars come to an end so their brothers and sisters will stop dying, so that innocent lives will not continue to be lost.
True---in places like Chicago, those with healthy cynicism and skepticism will have an opportunity to gather and reflect on America's military history in a different manner---a manner that is less focused on candy, vintage cars, ribbons, confetti, bands, and fanfare. But, a majority will not.
I put this out there because I come down on the side that many in the Vietnam generation come down on.
I say this so that perhaps some will question the mythology our government and leaders have created which reinforce a holiday like Memorial Day.
As more and more of "the greatest generation" go to their grave, those who are left to honor will be those who were involved in conflicts from the Korean War to the current conflicts in the Middle East.
Much of the American population from the Vietnam generation on are those who have grown to accept debates over the value of war. They now have second thoughts about sending their sons and daughters off to war.
That's nothing to be ashamed of. As the cliché goes, war is not the answer. And just because traditionally America's men and women have served with honor doesn't mean that war should ever be.
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