On Monday, we will observe a national
holiday that has been set aside for us to pause, remember and honor
those who have given their lives for our lives and the preservation of
our freedom.
These men and women entered the armed services and pledged their lives
based on a solemn trust that our country's leaders would not put them
in the line of fire unless it was absolutely necessary to protect the
lives and freedom of their countrymen or of our nation's allies.
This Memorial Day, as we all pause to remember and pay tribute to all
who have fallen in all of the battles over all of the years, let's do
one more thing. We should also make a personal vow to stand up and
speak up in deafening dissent if our leaders reveal their intent to
commit our troops to conflicts that are not vital to our national
security or the security of our allies. We now know that this current
pre-emptive strike has not met this standard at any point. Every
soldier's trust and the trust of every citizen of the United States has
been tragically violated.
Nonetheless, we honor those who went when called, many of whom may have
questioned the necessity of it. Those of us who choose to speak out
loudly against this war do so with nothing but gratitude and admiration
for those who have lost their lives in it. We also have these same
feelings toward their grieving families and we would never do anything
to question or tarnish the heroism of their loved ones.
We believe strongly that to "Support Our Troops" means to do whatever
we can to have them come home safely so that they can watch future
Memorial Day Parades with their families - versus the tragic
alternatives