I was honored to be asked to speak on Memorial Day at the Geneva and Ellendale ceremonies. In case you missed it, or even if you were there, here is the speech I gave.
I recall, in middle school, learning about the Bill of Rights and freedom of speech and tried to claim my 1st Amendment rights to say whatever I wanted to my parents after being told not to talk back. “As long as you live under our roof, this house is a dictatorship, not a democracy.” These were words I heard often from my father back in my younger years, starting on that day.
I’ve learned a lot about the rights we have in the United States since then, but it was my dad’s admonition that I wasn’t completely free that jump-started that. I’ve since found out, though not through experience, that I can’t shout “Fire!” in a theater. I can’t threaten to kill the President of the United States. These are, or should be, common sense ideas that don’t infringe on my rights under the Constitution.
I have these rights because of so many people who are with us today and even more people who are no longer with us. We’re standing among the gravesites of many veterans who either gave their lives in service to their country or died at some point after returning home. That might have been one year or ten years or fifty years, but serving in the armed forces is what sets them apart and calls for celebrating them on Memorial Day.
When you study history, you realize that our treatment of veterans and our military personnel has changed at times. Despite some periods of time where people returning from war were not looked at in a positive light by everyone, it feels like we’ve reached a point where we now show the respect that has been earned, both to those who return alive and those who, unfortunately, don’t make it back. Despite the many political divisions in America, this is one area where everyone, no matter if you’re red or blue or purple, can agree. And that’s exactly how it should be.
Being in the military is a sacrifice. The sacrifice can involve being away from loved ones or having to spend some time in a hospital with a wound or losing an appendage or, most difficult of all sacrifices, giving your life. No matter which sacrifices are made, those who come back home alive continue to sacrifice the rest of their lives due to the things they have missed by serving our country.
That’s why we stand here today: Veterans, no matter when their life is lost, should be revered at every opportunity. It doesn’t cost anything to say thank you to our military people, even if they have passed away. And I can’t imagine veterans ever get sick of hearing thanks. It’s because of these heroes that we can do and say so much of what we want, even if there are a few stipulations.
Every time I type a column for the paper with my opinion on something, I should be thankful. Nobody is telling me I can’t voice that opinion. Every time you watch a talk show on television or listen on the radio to a call-in show, you should be thankful. You might not agree with everyone, but that’s part of what makes our country great: We aren’t all forced to have the same opinion. Outside of cheering for the Green Bay Packers, you can think anything you want! (That’s a bit of sarcasm, by the way.)
The people we have lost are important to us, whether they’re a family member, a friend, or just an acquaintance. In a small community, that’s even more so. Sometimes when I read the obituaries, I’ll see that the deceased was in the military. I usually recognize the name in our small town, but I may not have known that they served. I’m thankful I get to learn that, even in a moment of sadness.
Many of us parent the way we were parented, whether we like it or not. I’ve found myself using my dad’s line about things being a dictatorship, not a democracy, not just at home, but also in my classroom. Sure, my students have rights, but they don’t have the right to bully someone or copy someone’s homework or mock the teacher, as easy as that last one might be to do. But they do have the right to ask me about a concern they have with something in my classroom or in our school. They do have a right to be heard. And I hope they realize they have that right because of the people who have sacrificed, even to the point of giving their lives, by being in our military.
On Memorial Day, we pause to reflect. We think about these fine men and women and those sacrifices. We recognize that those still living continue to sacrifice, and we thank all of them, whether they can hear us or not, for the rights we have in the United States of America.
Word of the Week: This week’s word is faineant, which means a person who chooses to be idle, as in, “The veteran had earned the right to be a faineant and take some time to himself.” Impress your friends and confuse your enemies!