Practically every city, town and village across the United States have at least one memorial to fallen soldiers. I’m not sure about the North, but in the South, the deaths most honored are from the Civil War. Although the Confederate soldiers’ legacy is tarnished by why they fought, like all people who died in wars, they too deserve commemoration.
Those who sacrifice and lose the most gain the least from war. Those who benefit the most nearly always offer and lose nothing. So I honor those who fell in battle and the veterans who survived wars but are no longer with us.
No matter my beliefs about the morality of war, the service members who died lost their lives for something bigger than themselves. They died to take care of their families and protect their buddies. Some were forced to fight while others believed in their country and the mission. I must honor that. Spending the whole day eating and shopping is a desecration to their memory. Marking their deaths with monuments and words is not enough.
To truly honor fallen soldiers requires self-reflection, questions, and action. We must reflect on our part in their deaths. Are we allowing the blood of soldiers and civilians to be spilled in war because we are not willing to do the hard work of peacemaking? Hard work, which may mean we must change our lifestyles, consume less, and learn more about the world around us. Are we prepared to take any responsibility for our nation’s relationships with other countries? Will we question our government’s foreign policies and demand a change from domination to collaboration? Are we willing to personally change so that our behavior and attitudes reflect peacemaking rather than acceptance of conquest and war?
I believe the best way to honor those who have died in wars, both combatants and civilians, is action to abolish war. We must end the killing and suffering caused by war.
This standard sounds idealistic because it is. Idealism is a human trait that sets us apart from the beast of nature. Striving for a higher purpose and looking to a higher calling brings out the best in us. If we genuinely want to honor those who died, we must step up to ensure their death is not merely because we are too scared and selfish to take up the challenge to be better people. This Memorial Day, after you eat, catch a sale, honor the dead at a memorial or leave flowers for a fallen solider; please take some time to reflect on what you can do to make the world more peaceful at home and abroad. Then go out and be the peace you want to see in the world.
