It has always seemed odd to me that in the United States we celebrate Memorial Day by getting drunk and having barbeques. Memorial Day is intented to memorialize those who have died while in the service of the U.S. military. With troops currently stationed in Iraq and the death toll there rising daily, it seems sad that most people won't give even a moment during their beer run to think about those who have died and their families. You don't have to agree with the politics of this or any other war in our history to recognize the service and sacrifice of fallen soldiers. There are noble wars and there are shameful wars, but soldiers do not deserve the blame for decisions made by presidents.
I do not have any answers as to how to properly "celebrate" such a somber holiday. I just wish we weren't so apathetically American about it. And yes, I'm a complete hypocrite about it, too. If I'm invited to any barbeques, I'm going to go, and I'm probably going to have a good time. I just wish the 2,464 soldiers who have died in Iraq could do the same.
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