Here are a collection of Instagram and Facebook posts from this weekend. They’re more sentimental than angry or political, but because they’re so personal and passionate, I decided to post them under the “rant” banner rather than “Civics 101.” This isn’t about teaching or encouraging thought or discussion, this is about sharing my personal feelings and beliefs. That said, I hope I didn’t just scare you off. Original posts are regular and new comments are blue and in italics.

Do leave your comments in below, but don’t be a jerk or a troll even if we disagree- especially if you’re a Russian bot.

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This weekend remember, if we’re not dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal, then we’ve let those who gave their last full measure of devotion so that any nation so dedicated might live, have died in vain. It’s not the flag, it’s the “liberty and justice for all” that needs our allegiance and respect. Otherwise we’re just going through the motions.

Must be because in Civics class I just taught about the Gettysburg Address and passage of the 13, 14 7 15th Amendments. maybe because I just take myself and history and holidays all WAY too seriously.

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Sure, I honor those who served and those who gave their last full measure, but it’s not about flags or ceremonies or even about those who fought. It’s about the principles they were fighting & sacrificing for. When we forget that, that’s when we truly dishonor them. That’s when we allow them to die in vain. If we allow government of, by and for all people to perish, then all our pride and patriotism is nothing more than vanity. #Lincoln #GettysburgAddress #mashup #MemorialDay #equal #equality

 

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Lots of WWII movies on this weekend. Know what I’ve noticed? NAZIs are evil and Americans oppose them. American’s don’t trust Russia. Ah, simpler times.

Most Summers you see ‘Midway’ on all weekend. This year I saw ‘Patton’ and ‘Battle of the Bulge.’ Both excellent films, although- with all due respect, George Patton was a narcissistic piece of work!

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I suppose it’s because Memorial Day ceremonies are so similar to the military rites

of internment that I think about losing my dad more this weekend than on his birthday or on the anniversary of his passing, even though he was always humble & never made a big deal about his service.

Some of why I miss my Dad is that he’s the one who taught me about treating ALL people with dignity and respect, about equality. He’s the one who taught me to be respectful yet scrutinize those with power and authority. He taught me the value of military service, but also of civilian service, duty and responsibility. He helped instill in me a love for history and reading and learning. He’s the one who taught me to respect and honor women, African Americans, Mexican Americans, Native Americans, workers & unions, and immigrants too. And he’s the one who taught me how to see through political BS.

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Dissent is not ridicule.

Scrutiny is not persecution.

We indeed allow them to have died in vain not so much by failing to recognize their sacrifice, but when we are not dedicated to and devoted to that same proposition that Lincoln and Jefferson both claimed that our nation is dedicated to- that all men are created equal.

Honor and duty certainly are noble, but how much more noble are liberty and justice- especially livery and justice for ALL?

Certainly we should honor all those who have sacrificed so much for our freedom, but venerating veterans shouldn’t become the idolatry of militarism.

Being proud of our patriotism will only be hollow if it is about mere nationalism rather than striving and working and continuing to sacrifice for the principles for which our flag stands, not just for the flag itself: Equality, rights, social contract, unity, justice, domestic tranquility, common defense, general welfare, perpetual democracy, freedom of religion, of speech, of media, of assembly, association, to protest, to criticize and scrutinize our government and to petition for redress of grievances.

If it’s not about these principles, for everyone- even those different than us, even those we disagree with, then what good people is it?

This, no doubt was partly in response to the Address at our town’s Memorial Day ceremonies put on my the American Legion. Their guest speaker was one of our State Assemblymen. I really prefer it when they invite veterans or officers on active duty rather than politicians.

did a good job for the most part. He spoke mostly about a speech Genera MacArthur made on honor, duty and country. It’s not so much that as a history student, I prefer Eisenhower and Truman to Mac- it’s probably that this legislator and I went rounds about confederate statues on facebook a few months ago and he called me “stupid” and “crazy.” Maybe it’s because he’s such a huge Trump supporter or that he’s screwed teachers and public worker unions.

Whatever the case, I know I’m a hypocrite for being so angry and judgmental about him- but if he genuinely thinks that Democrats, progressives or immigrants are actively trying to destroy America or our treasured way of life, he is very insecure and doesn’t trust democracy.

To say that people who criticize politicians or their policies are “ridiculing” patriotism is about like Evangelicals, who are in power and in the majority somehow imagine that they are being “persecuted” and denied religious freedom.

Anyway, it seems such a shame that we have the Gettysburg Address read every year, but no one seems to have a clue about what Lincoln was saying. At least if they do, they don’t agree with him. Perhaps those disagreements about confederate war memorials were still too fresh in my mind. How can you serve in the USMC for 20 years and want to honor men who, in direct violation of the Constitution, wanted to destroy this country? Especially so that they could owning human beings as property? If that makes ME a “radical” and a “liberal,” I can live with that.

Yeeeeah… I guess this post has now earned it’s “rant” label. I apologize for that. It’s hard for me to not be indignant when people are offended by Black football players reverently taking a knee to draw attention to racial injustice, but when ICE lost almost 1,500 children of immigrants, they coldly say “shouldn’t ta broke the law,” or when the Mueller investigation is bringing in dozens of indictments and it’s clear that Russia DID hack our election, they shrug it off with “all politicians do it on both sides…”

Okay- I know that last paragraph alone will incite TONS of angry comments- May I just say, I know that this politician loves our country, and I absolutely value and honor his decades of military service- my problem is that he does not acknowledge that people who disagree with him politically can ALSO love our country and want what’s best for it.

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I know its Memorial Day, not Veterans Day or Armed Forces Day, but I can’t help thinking of, praying for, worrying about and thanking not just the members of our community who served but have since passed away, but peers who enlisted after 9/11.

Former students who served already and students who are about to begin their service.

Thank you for the sacrifices you & your families make.

Please remember as you work for “Uncle Sam,” that it’s not the branch you serve in or even our flag you serve under, but the ideals and principles our nation was founded on that you are working to uphold and protect. Equality, Liberty and Justice are not just words, or even ideas or abstract concepts, they are self-evident truths worth sacrificing for.

God bless you & keep you safe as you do your duty to keep us all safe.