By Hipolito Munoz, Managing Editor/Publisher
Memorial Day needs to be more personal, less a day off to celebrate with friends and more of a pursuit to understand why we are taking a day to remember folks that have been killed because of our ideals. We need to find a name, a face, a family that has suffered the trauma of loss to a larger cause. Most people that join the service have their own personal needs and reasons, but we as a larger community attribute it to patriotism and valor.
If that is the case, that patriotism drives these folks to sacrifice so much, then what is it that we are doing in order to honor that patriotism? There is a deep void in a family whose son or daughter, mother or father, have been killed in war and the challenges that they must face to move forward in an environment that is not truly supportive of their struggle.
Memorial day is not just about remembering those that have sacrificed their lives, it is about having real conversations about real people, mostly under 25, who will not be able to pursue a life that they always perceived would be theirs after their service, so imagine that one person that could have been at your picnic, at your family’s barb q, at your buddies beach party, but is not. Take a moment to find those names and what has been done about those that are missing, are we still looking for them?
Memorial Day is as complicated as any other national holiday because marketing has made it another national sales themed event, we can’t afford to allow distractions to disconnect us from those brave men and women who died. There is no need to thank veterans for their service today, there is a need to understand what they survived and who they may have lost, that is most valuable to veterans and the families of those that have made this ultimate sacrifice.
