| Our veterans deserve more respect |
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| Written by Christopher Stryker | |
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It was with great distress that I watched Veterans Day pass by, and nobody gave it a second glance. I know that there was a ceremony over at the veterans’ home in St. James, but beyond that, I’m not sure that there was any official recognition whatsoever. I find this very strange. Many other schools, including our sister school Mizzou, have a Veterans Day parade, complete with the ROTC units marching along. Even most major towns have Veterans Day observances of some sort or another, and I find it hard to believe that there was no recognition in the UMR community. More importantly, Veterans Day occupies a very unique slot when it comes to federal holidays. Most, like Memorial Day or Presidents’ Day are to honor people who served our nation and are now deceased. Veterans Day is one of the few chances that we get to acknowledge the contributions of those among us that served or are currently serving in the armed forces. It is for that reason that I think people should have been more observant of Veterans Day. More concerning still is the fact that everyone acknowledged Patriot Day. Don’t get me wrong, observing Patriot Day is a good thing, but it’s certainly not the same. Patriot Day is an all inclusive day, where we seem to celebrate anyone who is employed by or has a contract with the government. After all, that’s patriotic, right? Most of the people that fall into these categories can’t hold a candle to our men and women in uniform. Please, don’t get me wrong; I have a great deal of respect for the firefighters, police offers, and FBI agents. It’s just that the dangers most of these people face on a daily basis do not even compare to those faced by those in the armed forces. According to a study released by the US department of labor, between 1992 and 2001, there were 1,448 work-related fatalities in America’s police departments and 437 work-related deaths in the fire fighting and fire-prevention occupations. 2853 servicemen have lost their lives fighting in Iraq the past three years. That’s a significantly larger number, and it’s over a period which is about one-third the time. I’m afraid that part of the reason that it wasn’t observed is the fall-out from the recent elections. Many people, me included, were very happy with the Democratic domination of elections, and many people said that the reason they voted Democrat was tied to the war in Iraq. Again, that’s a point I won’t argue; in my mind, this war has been handled terribly, and it is largely not needed. That does not mean, however, that my same thoughts apply to those in uniform. The people over there, by and large, are not there by choice. Unfortunately for them, they are just serving as an extension of our administration right now, and go where they are assigned. Remember; the soldiers don’t make the choices. If it weren’t for soldiers, none of us would be where we are right now. Throughout our history, there have been many “just wars,” starting with the Revolutionary War, up through the Civil War, World War I, and World War II. If we hadn’t had the military and soldiers when we needed them then, it’s likely that I would be writing this in another language right now. While I don’t believe that the conflict we are engaged in now is just, I certainly don’t blame the troops for that. I just hope that they are able to serve the remainders of their tours of duty and return home to the support of their loved ones. It’s just that I think it would be nice if they had some support from their countrymen as well. |
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