As a democratic republic, we can and should have social discussions about the role of the modern military and our use of force in a 21st century world. On Memorial Day, however, we take a moment to remember the ideals that our armed services fought and died for, from Lexington and Concord to the fields of Iraq and Afghanistan. Each cause was unique, different, and involved a complex set of ideals and passions.
However, I took time today to ride my bike to a private establishment to enjoy the beautiful weather with a friend, watch baseball, and have excellent conversation. Along the way, I took advantage of clean air, taxpayer funded trails, a well-built bicycle made by American hands, clean and safe food and beer, and entertainment that has long been part of America's history.
Now I know that probably few, if any, soldiers thought of these kinds of things as they sat in foxholes and ran into gunfire during all of our conflicts. But the fact of that matter is that these women and men fought, and died, to keep this way of life, this system of government, this last, best hope of Earth alive for future generations to pass along to their children. Because embedded within days like this are the freedoms to evolve, to conjure new ideas, to elaborate on what is possible, and to disagree, without conflict, with your neighbor. This is the essence of of the American way of life. We have changed as a people from the centuries before, but we have always had the unique ability to disagree, to think about new things, and not be beholden to the previous generation in terms of ideas from the ancien regime.
So although I did not run into any veterans today to thank, nor did I actively do anything to remember them, I did do one thing that I think is important: I lived the way I wanted to. I was not dictated to, I was not forced to do anything, and I did not live in fear of someone watching over me.
To me, that is what it means to be an American. Happy Memorial Day.
