THERE are times when I think if I could change only one thing about this country it would be to return 11-11 to its original name and original meaning, even at the expense of losing its holiday status to another date selected to celebrate sacrifice and martial glory; even if it meant the dead of Passchendaele and Ypres and Belleau Wood were condemned to lie even less remembered than they are today. Just give them back the day, the hour the guns fell silent, even if we ignore it. And give the rest of us back some sense of the enormity of modern war, same as those who set aside the day had when they did so.
Worthless sacrifice is the rule of war, not the exception. We don't need any prodding to remember the fight against Fascism as noble, or to view all service as heroic. But it's obvious we too quickly forget that senseless, unspeakable slaughter has always started out sounding like a reasonable idea to too many people.
AMEN.
ReplyDeleteWell said.
ReplyDeleteYes.
ReplyDeletePS - I drew on your moving post in my own small effort here.
ReplyDeleteI agree. "...we too quickly forget..." It took the parties involved only a couple of years to set the next one in motion, and only 20 years before the next senseless slaughter commenced, this time tripling the death toll. Ahh, civilization.
ReplyDeleteI concur, something along the lines of "fuckin'-A" but more respectable.
ReplyDeleteOr not. Especially considering the fucktards within the present group of war cheerleaders.
Should our beautiful minds be asked to take in an image like that? It's contrary to the "Happy Warrior - Army Strong" pictures on the teevee.
ReplyDelete