Thoughts on Memorial Day

Memorial Day is returning to us, and with it the thrill
of picnics, parties, and parades. And why not? This day
is a holiday in which many people (including your
favorite Peasant), and likely some of you, my fantastic
readers, will have the day off to be with family and
friends engaging in the aforementioned activities
or just gathering at the home of a friend or relation
to enjoy each other's company.

But all the while, let us not forget who made this special
day possible, and in fact are whom the day is all about:
the Americans who fought and died for our country in
the uniforms of our military --- Army, Navy, Marines,
Air Force, Coast Guard, and, even though they are not
officially a branch of our military, the Merchant Marines
(whom, however, can be an auxiliary to the United
States Navy in wartime). We Americans pride ourselves
as being citizens of a free, strong, and prosperous nation
and rightfully so, but we must never forget who paid the
price to establish and to preserve our nation as such.
As your faithful Peasant has long acknowledged,
freedom isn't free; freedom costs. However, freedom is
not a luxury but an important necessity.


MEM