Sunday, May 29, 2005
Memorial Day
Austin Bay has posted a moving Memorial Day tribute, in which he speaks of behalf of Tejanos in Action at Travis County International Cemetery, where this group of Hispanic vets has honored indigent American veterans buried in the cemetery.
Perhaps it may be said that these fallen veterans sacrificed out of proportion to the benefits they enjoyed -- they gave their all to a country that may not always have honored them in life in measure to their devotion. In some profounder sense, in honoring these heroic dead, Bay speaks forth a timeless caption for this Memorial Day, for all memorial days of this great Republic:
That is why, for all the negativity, for the politically correct attempts to highlight American transgression, evil, faults, and failings, we still need to remember this gift of Liberty.
We may take two steps forward, and then drop back one. We may even at times be pushed backwards, but we keep moving forward, trying to correct for the failings of the past, our failings, and in the end make something greater than it would have been without the mistakes. We learn, we grow. For going on now 230 years, we remain the bruised sometimes but never broken, single-best example of Democracy in action.
And it is in no small measure – it is in the most hallowed measure and degree – due to the Veterans we seek to honor this Memorial Day holiday.
To all who have gone before, to all who will follow them, May the God of this Universe, of all creation itself, look upon your service to a grateful nation, and raise us up, call us to our better natures, and in lifting our heads, acknowledge not only the service of the Fallen, but acknowledge too that Heavenly Father who may give them their eternal rest, and give us resolve for our earthly struggles. he can, He says He will, let us be mindful of our charge. Amen.
Perhaps it may be said that these fallen veterans sacrificed out of proportion to the benefits they enjoyed -- they gave their all to a country that may not always have honored them in life in measure to their devotion. In some profounder sense, in honoring these heroic dead, Bay speaks forth a timeless caption for this Memorial Day, for all memorial days of this great Republic:
The mission of each generation is to take what we have and do better, do more with it. Liberty gives us this chance, to choose to take a sad and forgotten plot and turn it into a beautiful, peaceful place.Take what we have and make it better. That describes America, not just its veterans.
That is why, for all the negativity, for the politically correct attempts to highlight American transgression, evil, faults, and failings, we still need to remember this gift of Liberty.
We may take two steps forward, and then drop back one. We may even at times be pushed backwards, but we keep moving forward, trying to correct for the failings of the past, our failings, and in the end make something greater than it would have been without the mistakes. We learn, we grow. For going on now 230 years, we remain the bruised sometimes but never broken, single-best example of Democracy in action.
And it is in no small measure – it is in the most hallowed measure and degree – due to the Veterans we seek to honor this Memorial Day holiday.
To all who have gone before, to all who will follow them, May the God of this Universe, of all creation itself, look upon your service to a grateful nation, and raise us up, call us to our better natures, and in lifting our heads, acknowledge not only the service of the Fallen, but acknowledge too that Heavenly Father who may give them their eternal rest, and give us resolve for our earthly struggles. he can, He says He will, let us be mindful of our charge. Amen.
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