LET'S PUT MEMORIAL DAY BACK

There's a saying that says "What you do speaks so loudly that what you say I cannot hear." It's a version of "Actions speak louder than words," and the like.

A real example of the truth of this maxim, in a negative way, is what happens every year on Memorial Day. 

Over and over again we read, see, and hear stuff like "remember all those who served," or something to the effect of remembering or honoring all service men and women. 

And over and over again we read, see, and hear reminders that Memorial Day is NOT for those who wore the uniform but for those who DIED in it.

Particularly irksome is hearing or reading "Happy Memorial Day! WTH? Seriously? Happy?

The reminder of what Memorial Day really is never seems to gain ground. 

And here's why.

Government goof balls desecrated this day when they made a three-day weekend out of it. That's fine for some holidays, but NOT Memorial Day. 

Here's what the History Channel says about how and why that happened:

For decades, Memorial Day continued to be observed on May 30, the date General Logan had selected for the first Decoration Day. But in 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which established Memorial Day as the last Monday in May in order to create a three-day weekend for federal employees. The change went into effect in 1971. The same law also declared Memorial Day a federal holiday.

The concept of a three-day weekend is just that: a party weekend. And that's what most of America appears to do. 

In other words, no matter how many reminders we get about what Memorial Day is supposed to be, the fact that our government turned a sacred day to remember our heroic dead into nothing different than Labor Day or the 4th of July, has made Memorial Day into just another day to BBQ, booze it up, and take out the boat. 

It's one thing to serve. It's another thing to die serving. 

Memorial Day is a sacred day, a day set apart like no other. Let's put it back to May 30 and leave it there. 

Party some other time.