Practically every city, town and village across the nation has at least
one memorial to fallen soldiers. Many have many more than one. In the
South, the deaths most honored are from the Civil War. This may hold
true in the North as well. I respect and honor those who fell in battle
as well as the veterans who survived war, but whom time has taken from
us. It’s good to have obelisks and statues to remind us that people die
in war, while acting on behalf of the United States.
Those who sacrifice and lose the most have the least to gain from war,
and those who benefit the most almost always sacrifice and lose nothing.
No matter my beliefs about the morality of war, the service members who
died lost their lives for something bigger than themselves — whether
they became soldiers to take care of their families or protect their
buddies, or because they were drafted or believed in their country and
the mission. We must honor that.
Spending the whole day eating and shopping is a desecration and honoring
with monuments and words is not enough. To truly honor fallen soldiers
requires self-reflection, questions and action. We must reflect on our
part in their deaths. Are we allowing the blood of soldiers and
civilians to be spilled in war because we are not willing to do the hard
work of peace making? Hard work that may mean we must change our
lifestyles, consume less and learn more about the world around us. Are
we prepared to take any responsibility for our nation’s relationships
with other countries? Are we willing to question our government's
foreign policies and demand a change from domination to collaboration?
Are we willing to take action to change ourselves so that our personal
behavior and attitude reflects peace making rather than acceptance of
war?
I believe the best way to honor those who have died in war, both
combatants and civilians, is to work to abolish war. We must end the
killing and suffering caused by war. This sounds idealistic because it
is.
Idealism is one if the traits of humanity that sets us apart from the
beast of nature. Striving for a higher purpose and looking to a higher
calling brings out the best in us. If we truly want to honor those who
died we must step up in an effort to ensure their death is not simply
because we are too scared and selfish to take up the challenge to be
better people.
This Memorial Day, after you eat, catch a sale, honor the dead at a
memorial or leave flowers for a fallen solider; please take some time to
reflect on what you can do to make the world more peaceful at home and
abroad. Then go out and be the peace you want to see in the world.
Michael
T. McPhearson was a field artillery officer in the 24th Mechanized
Infantry Division during Desert Shield/Desert Storm, also known as Gulf
War I. A Newark resident, McPhearson is the co-convener of United for
Peace and Justice, and former executive director of Veterans For Peace.