On Remembrance Day

Something has been poking at me the past couple days so I return to get it off my chest. This Memorial Day weekend people will be grilling meats and enjoying time off from work. Some however have taken to their social networks to tell people how they're supposed to observe the holiday. Unless we fall on our knees before God and weep, we're not properly celebrating the holiday and doing a disservice to our troops.

Yes, the purpose of Memorial Day is to quietly reflect on fallen soldiers. We have cemeteries full of people who made a tremendous sacrifice and cannot enjoy this day with us today. Those people choose to end their lives in defense of our liberties and our way of life. I have a lot of family who have fallen in previous wars to enable my freedoms. I take time to remember them today. But they did just that, they gave up their lives to give us the freedom to celebrate in our own way.

If you don't want to observe, don't observe. If you want to drink beer all day and eat grilled meats, then drink your beer and eat your meats. If you want to observe quietly in remembrance of our fallen friends and family, then do just that. The opportunity is there for this freedom because of their deaths.

We should remember them, but to force others leans towards fascism. We should be careful about demanding how others feel and what others say. We are moving towards tyranny centered around elements from the fringe from both ends of the political spectrum.

We have freedom of expression. I hope we don't lose it. THAT would make their sacrifices void and in vain.