Words Poorly Used #40 — Commemoration

Looking at the etymology of this word, we can deduce that it means a group recalling something together.  Unfortunately, here in the nation, it means remembering mythology together so we can forget individually what has happened in reality.  Today, we commemorate the events of war and our fellow nationals who have served and died in the roles of fighters for our nation against other nations.  We like to pretend that they did this willingly and for the sole purpose of keeping the rest of us safe.  Actually many of them did it for the money or for adventure or for the benefits or to see the world or to escape their world.  If any of them said I am doing it to give my life for my country, before the fact, he needed to have his head examined, for PTSD (pre-traumatic stress disorder).  And it is likewise with any who said, before the fact, I believe that killing civilians or massacring entire populaces is an honorable act for an honorable cause to be carried out by honorable recruits.  This is too much to sweep under a red, white, and blue rug.  Yet we try it every memorial day, flag day, 4th of July, veterans day, constitution day, and now 9/11 — and don’t forget the anniversary of Pearl Harbor.

Kilgore

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