On This Memorial Day

The origins of Memorial Day are complex and somewhat disputed.  It appears that it was first prevalent in the South after the Civil War as a way for families to mourn their dead and revisit some of the themes of ‘lost cause’ and ‘states rights’.  As time went on northern cities and states picked up the practice and eventually the entire nation began embracing it.

It is a good practice to honor people who have sacrificed for a common cause, especially when they have made the ultimate sacrifice of their lives.  A proper Memorial Day would honor every public or private citizen who has sacrificed his or her life for the good of others – healthcare workers who have died in the current pandemic would be a great addition, as well as firefighters, EMTs, police and any other group that makes such sacrifices.

The world has a long history of glorifying war and the various famous persons who have participated.  Although Memorial Day is considered a day of remembrance and not specifically a day of celebrating our wars, there is always a bit of jingoism attached, as if we cannot honor our dead without justifying the conflicts they died in.

A persuasive argument can be made that most of our wars have been tragic mistakes on a massive scale.  The Spanish American War, World War I, the Vietnam War, the Iraq War and the Afghanistan War were all totally unnecessary and accomplished absolutely nothing.  The waste of human life and precious resources in these wars is almost beyond comprehension.

One can theorize that the Civil War was necessary to ‘save the union’ and abolish slavery.  I can’t say that saving the union is a cause that anybody would want to die for, as two distinct countries can exist quite nicely if they separate amicably. 

But the abolishment of slavery was indeed a noble cause.  Did a million people have to die to accomplish it?  Were the long-term consequences for the south worth it?  Would slavery have been obsolete within twenty years anyway, as the industrialized world was already rapidly emancipating slaves?  Would a less violent end to slavery have ultimately served African Americans better?

The fact that our wars have been foolhardy and unnecessary does not change the need to honor the sacrifice of those who participated.  We would honor the firefighter who dies racing into a building to save a child, even if it is later discovered that the child had already escaped.  Similarly, we can honor our service people’s sacrifices without celebrating or even justifying the wars they fought in.

But to really honor their sacrifice, it would be appropriate on this day and many others to take a hard look at our tendency to rush into war and conflict without proper justification.  Our citizens deserve to only be required to make the ultimate sacrifice when the need is dire, and the cause is worthy.

So, let us remember all those who have sacrificed for the good of others on Memorial Day.  Let us not only honor them with patriotic songs and speeches, but also by dedicating ourselves to a world where war is increasingly rare and truly a last resort, rather than a cynical tool of political expediency.