We have a whole host of holidays here in the United States. We celebrate Independence Day, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, Memorial Day, Labor Day, New Year’s Day, etc. Yesterday was Veterans Day, one of the most important days in our year. However, I’ll be willing to bet that not many people celebrated anything yesterday.
Many will say that we have Memorial Day, and that’s all that really matters. True, Memorial Day honors those who have died in the service of our country, but what about all the other soldiers? What about all the other men and women who have won medals for their bravery?
But more than that, what about all the “little people”-the soldiers who never made headlines? They, too, have fought for the preservation of life as we know it here in America. No one can tell me that this is not worth honoring.
Having a “recognized holiday” is not enough. We need to really sit down and think about what freedom means to each and every one of us. Then, we need to realize who defended it-veterans.
I think the main reason my generation does not seem to care about holidays like Veterans Day and Memorial Day is because we have never seen a major war. Our parents were born after World War II, so they at least had close contact with someone who served in the military in some way.
Our parents lived during the Vietnam War. They felt the pang of loss or had to deal with someone who was forever changed by the horrors of war. We, on the other hand, grew up during the tail end of the Cold War. We witnessed the Gulf War, but there were not many casualties, and a draft wasn’t necessary for that conflict.We are in the midst of a war on terrorism, but so far, it is a different kind of conflict. No one is being drafted, and we are fighting an enemy that is an ideology rather than a country.
To us, war is not a bloody tragedy where our brothers, fathers or sons die. War is not seeing images of little children carrying AK-47s in other countries. War is something we learned about in history class.
Seeing as how the United States and other countries are most likely about to go to war with Iraq, I fear that my generation will discover all too soon the meaning of a long, drawn-out bloody war.
And if the “war on terrorism” doesn’t ever come to that, well thank God. However, conflicts will always exist. War will always be with us.
One day we will realize the true meaning of mortality. Right now, we are young and carefree. However, this does not give us an excuse to blow off the contributions of others.
So please, along with the bunnies and the Christmas trees, celebrate Veterans Day at least within the confines of your home, within your heart. They deserve it. Those who have gone before us know the true meaning of war.
I hope my generation can put if off as long as possible, but again, you never know.
JanaZ Hatcher is a sophomore political science major.