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May 26, 2008
Exclusive: Thoughts on Memorial Day
As we celebrate Memorial Day, department stores will hold sales and many of us will have barbeques.A good friend, a former Israeli NationalPolice general who was assigned to the Israeli Consulate in New York some 15 years ago, commented thathe found the American way ofcommemorating the sacrifices made by our soldiers who have fought in every war since the American Revolution to be unusual.He told me that in Israel they remember their soldiers by having memorial services and they observe a minute of silence where everything stopped.
He did not mean this as a criticism; it was just that he wondered as to how many peoplereally stop and think about the real meaning of Memorial Day.
We owe our soldiers more than we can ever possibly repay them.We owe them our freedoms and our way of life. Indeed, in a real sense, we owe them our lives.
Let us not forget our soldiers who have died, who have been wounded and who, at this momentstand in"harms way" for all of us. Let us keep them in our thoughts and prayers.
This weekend, two races took place. Once race, the one in which the finish lineis to be found at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, has been ongoing and won't end until We the People vote in this years Presidential election.The other race, the Indianapolis 500, happened yesterday.
In both races, the contestants will spend huge sums of money in order to prepare for the contest. The Presidential race currently has three contenders while the Indy 500 has 33 contenders. In these races there will only be one winner.
Because the cost of participating in these races is so high, many people and companies are encouraged to spend money to pay for the high costs.The biggest difference between the two contests is that when a race driver suits up and puts on his (her)Nomex racing suit, his suit is festooned withpatches bearing the names and logos of those companies that sponsor him.
When they strap themselves into their race cars, those drivers are covered with the decals of those same sponsors who made the participation of the cars and their drivers possible.
Here's a thought: Wouldn't it be something if the candidates for the presidency (and other elected offices around the country) wore similar patches on their clothes and plastered the decals of their sponsors on their campaign buses and airplanes so that We the People could more easily "follow the money?"It is amazing to me that if a police officer accepts a cup of hot coffee on a cold winter's day while he (she) is directing traffic or walking the beat he may wellbe criticized by internal affairs because of the fear of corruption. Yet politicians openly ask for massive contributions to fund their campaigns for elected office.Politicians often boast about being effective "fund raisers." Could youimagine what would happen to a cop who claimed to be an effective"fund raiser?"
I think you understand my point...
A number of years ago Lou Dobbswas the recipient of the Eugene Katz Award for Journalism that was given to him by the Center for Immigration Studies, a Washington-based think tank I have been proud of being associated with for the past five years.I was invited to attend that luncheon along with many others who came to celebrate the occasion.I had the opportunity to chat with Lou for a bit and told him that every time there is an election we get the best government money can buy! He certainly agreed with me and, in fact, ran a series of reports he named "The best government money can buy!"
Again, keep our military in your thoughts today - as well as the politicians, in whose hands the destiny of those men and women in uniform lie.
Happy Memorial Day!
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