Memorial Day Reveals the cost of freedom
May 31, 2010
Memorial Day Reveals the Cost of Freedom
Vote in Remembrance of Them
Memorial Day really is the official beginning of the summer season, and the kickoff is celebrated throughout Alabama with parades, festivals and cookouts. It truly is a family celebration here in Alabama.
At the same time, I am always concerned the true meaning of this holiday is missed, buried by the sounds of summer. We must never forget the cost of freedom, laying in the ground. The freedom that we enjoy on Monday, and every day of our lives, has been earned for us, a gift from the brave men and women of this country, who heard the call of their nation and came running to our side, who, as President Abraham Lincoln said, “have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom.”
The hundreds of thousands of citizens upon that altar, who gave their lives for us, and the families they left behind, serve as a constant reminder that we can never take this freedom for granted, that there are real and tangible costs involved. From the hallowed ground of Gettysburg to the horrific beaches of Normandy, from Cantigny to the Twin Towers, the American experiment has survived and endured, but at a price.
Here is a reminder.
Total deaths in the Civil War: a common figure is 620,000.
Total deaths in World War I: 116,516
Total deaths in World War II: 405,399
Total deaths in Korean War: 36,574
Total deaths in Vietnam War: 58,220
Total deaths in Gulf War: 382
Total deaths in Operation Iraqi Freedom: 4,400
Total deaths in Operation Enduring Freedom: 1,083
And as we know, the fight for democracy is never-ending. This day does not just represent those soldiers of the past, found in textbooks and archival films; it represents those thousands of casualties in the Persian Gulf and those gallant men and women who continue to lose their lives in the War on Terror. The sacrifice is ongoing because democracy must be paid for daily.
So how do we best honor these soldiers and their families? I think it comes down to the way we live our daily lives: we cherish the freedom they saved for us, remain vigilant in protecting it, and never hesitate in the fight for it. Most importantly, never forget what they did for us. As it is so eloquently stated in the Gettysburg address, we must “highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain ... and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
Which brings me to June 1, the Tuesday after Memorial Day. The foundation upon which democracy rests is that government is by the people, for the people. And the cornerstone of that principle is our right to vote, to pick our representatives in self-government. June 1 is primary election day in Alabama. I can think of no better way to honor our fallen soldiers and their families than to exercise our right to vote for the candidates of our choice, to do so in remembrance of them, to say to each other that we understand the price of our vote. To say it shall never be taken for granted again.
To each and every one of you I wish you and your family an enjoyable Memorial Day.
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