Memorial Day Weekend 2011
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Memorial Day brings both fond and forlorn feelings to many across the nation. Traditionally, since the Civil War, Memorial Day marked a time to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice to our nation. As time went on, all those who died were often included in our visits to cemeteries and memories.
But for many Americans — probably most today — Memorial Day means little more than a long weekend and the “official” start of summer. “Happy Memorial Day!” is often heard, little thought given to those who gave their lives to make it possible.
For me, Memorial Day is associated with World War II, though I honestly known not why. But given that fact, I thought we here at The New Civil Rights Movement could devote some time to a different time, say, 1942, or so.
This weekend, I propose we take time to remember not only those loved ones we have lost, but those beloved ideals of times gone by. When neighbors were like family — and expected to help guide neighborhood children. When we sent misbehaving kids to detention — not to the police station, court, or jail. When religious institutions weren’t political institutions. When you could like someone despite their political party or beliefs — and actually might not even know what they were. When the concept of good government was embraced, not embarrassed. When politicians were respectable and school teachers were respected. And when being united was expected.
So along with our regular weekend updates, we’ll be offering a trip down memory lane — memory lane, if you’re old enough to remember the artwork of the World War II era — and combining it with some of the political challenges we face today. Challenges, like it or not — given our current unsustainable level of polarization — we must share together. What if our politicians — and what if we — thought, united we win?
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(Image, 1943, courtesy of Northwestern University Digital Library.)