Remembering over the Memorial Day Weekend

Last month, East Windsor was lucky enough to have the Wall That Heals come to town as a means of belatedly welcoming home those who served our country in Vietnam and to thank them for that service.  This past Memorial Day, I found myself thinking about how important it was that we think about that recent opportunity and recognize, remember and appreciate all those who fought and died in defense of the freedoms and values that we as a nation have come to share.

Each time we turn on the news or open a newspaper, we are reminded of strife and conflict around the world.  So many of these conflicts are being fought in the streets of far away nations over the free exercise of speech, or the right to worship in whichever way one chooses.  We should always remember how lucky we are to have a choice. 

On Memorial Day, we celebrate those brave soldiers who fought and died for the ideals and values that we too often take for granted.  We forget that these ideals and values are not free for all humanity.  We should always remember that someone raised their hand to defend the basic freedoms and privileges that we enjoy.

In our politics, we see lines being drawn and fights emerging along partisan lines, and we forget that it is within each of our rights to freely express a thought or opinion without fear of retribution or punishment.  We should always remember that many have fought and died for our right to express ourselves. 

We see a soldier in uniform in the Dunkin Donuts or the grocery store or at the gas station, and too often we forget to acknowledge that they have volunteered to serve the people of our nation in whatever way they are needed.  We should always remember to say “thank you” to those who give freedom meaning.

On Memorial Day and every day, we should always remember what others have given for us all.