veterans / armistice day

[rivendellrose]

If we, as a species, never saw the need for putting one more person on the field of battle, I'd be happy. But for the sake of the past and the future, I deeply respect the people who take up arms when the world deems it necessary.

The best way we can respect their sacrifice is to each do our best to try to ensure it's not necessary for anyone else.

* * *

On a slightly tangential note: in the US, one reason people come to be considered veterans is by getting bumped out of service for being honest about their sexuality. Here's a nice little editorial about this plainly idiotic policy. I'm all for forgiving Obama's lack of progress on this subject so far, on the basis that he hasn't yet hit the year mark, and there's certainly been no shortage of issues clamoring for his attention. However, the fact that this policy continues is a national embarrassment and a brainless offense to the pride of men and women who want to use their talents. It's got to end.

Comments

[akashasheiress.livejournal.com]

I kind of hate it that they changed the name. It's like it went from being a reminder of the horrors of war to being a military parade.

[irishninja.livejournal.com]

That's not at all why they changed the name in America. For Britain, France, and the other nations that call 11/11 Armistice Day, it's for the express reason of remembering the Lost Generation: those who lived and died in the trenches of WWI. Terrible business, that, but almost completely missed by the doughboys we sent over near the end of the war.

In the 50s, when the Greatest Generation was busy giving birth to the Baby Boomers, America decided to celebrate veterans of all wars, possibly because we provided such a minor (yet important!) contribution to the Great War. So, since we had much less emotional connection to the ill-fated Treaty of Versailles and the horrid conditions that led to it, there was, I imagine, scant opposition to the commemoration not only of our doughboys, who were still alive in large numbers at the time and could have blocked the change if they really wanted to, but also our GIs, jarheads, dogfaces, buffalo soldiers, Tuskegee airmen, WASPs, WAACs, and all other brave and dedicated men and women of all races who proudly and dutifully wear the uniforms of our armed forces.

The wiki page.

[narsilion.livejournal.com]

Beautifully put on both counts. Thank you as always sweety, for your eloquence.