Monday, Americans will celebrate Memorial Day. Indeed, this is a day in which we honor our veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of the many freedoms we ALL enjoy as citizens of this great and mighty nation. No matter what anyone says, we should never doubt that we are a GREAT and MIGHTY nation! Furthermore, the United States of America should NEVER have apologies rendered in its defense. No apologies are needed on any soil (foreign or domestic) for our nation being the GREAT and MIGHTY nation it is! Throughout its rich and storied history, America has always defended itself and many other countries. We are a PROUD nation, and we are a FREE nation. And, to those we honor and remember every Memorial Day, we owe an immeasurable and priceless debt that can NEVER be repaid.
Memorial Day is a day that we mourn as a nation. Many people need to realize this. During my youth, I could have been counted in this group. I considered Memorial Day a celebration day instead of a remembrance and mourning. Yes, there is most definitely much to celebrate. However, memory, mourning, and recognition should stand first and foremost in our hearts on Memorial Day.
I pray that we shall never forget the real reason for Memorial Day! The United States of America is the greatest nation in the world, the greatest country the world has ever known! There is no question about it, and this matter shall never be debated. And Memorial Day is when we remember those who put down their lives to help make our nation great! It has been almost 247 years since our government declared its independence. Since then, our country has depended upon those willing to sacrifice their lives to protect our immeasurable and priceless freedoms and our way of life. The words divine and providence are often used together in defining our great nation. I use the word “ours” with serious intent. This nation is ours. We should never permit any one individual or group of individuals to take our country away from us. This nation belongs to us ALL!
With that being said, we ALL have rights. Whether or not we like what someone has to say or the cause for which they stand, they have the right to voice their opinion. However, we ALL have that freedom. Not just a select/elite few of us trying to persuade and drive the political spectrum and dialog in a particular direction.
I love the word freedom. In this great nation of ours, we are FREE! Free to speak what we think and feel, worship when and where we choose, succeed with hard work, associate and work where we choose, and so much more. These freedoms are a gift. A divine and precious gift from God and, once again, a gift afforded us by those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
We should never forget that we must work hard to succeed in striving for the many pleasures and ways of life we choose to live. None of us should just expect ANYTHING to be handed to us. After all, hard work and sacrifice, in combination with the freedoms mentioned above, make our nation great. And this is what sets us apart from all other countries.
Traditionally, Memorial Day marks the beginning of Summer when there will soon be grilling, swimming, vacation travel, and more. And I always look forward to the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 auto races on Memorial Day weekend! But again, there is so much more to Memorial Day than this. There will be several opportunities to attend a local remembrance ceremony. If you and your family can do so, please participate in one of the many Memorial Day ceremonies that will take place in our area. And I pray that you and your family have a GREAT Memorial Day in remembering those who paid the ultimate price so that we can live our lives in freedom as a part of this GREAT and MIGHTY nation!
Randy Brown is Vice President of Specht Newspapers, Inc., and publisher of the Minden Press-Herald.