Can It Be A ‘Happy’ Memorial Day?

Posted by | May 25, 2015 08:56 | Filed under: Contributors Opinion Stuart Shapiro

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From Craig Calcaterra:

But while the misplaced patriotism that has come to characterize Memorial Day irks me a bit, it’s inevitable and I don’t begrudge it too terribly much. Wave a flag or campaign for whatever you consider to be patriotism if you feel it’s important to do that. Protest wars and the leaders who start them if you feel it’s important to do that. Enjoy your free time if you happen to have it. Go to a barbecue, take in a ballgame, binge-watch some awful TV show or get crazy, crazy, crazy Memorial Day deals at Mattress Wholesalers if that’s your thing. Given the purpose of the holiday, it’s always weird to say “happy Memorial Day” or to treat it like some other random bonus day off work, but we do it anyway, even on what’s supposed to be a day of mourning or reflection.

And that’s OK. Because no matter what one can say of a war — say of its leaders or the stated reasons it was fought — the men and women who actually fought in it and died in were hoping that they were, ultimately, making a better and happier world for those they left behind. And they no doubt hoped, among everything else they hoped, that others didn’t have to face what they were facing. They wanted our lives to be happy and our country to be safe and part of a happy and safe country involves 300 million people doing whatever it is they damn please, even if it’s frivolous sometimes.

So do have a happy Memorial Day. Have a silly or dumb Memorial Day. Have a flag-waving, camouflage-wearing troop-supporting day. Have any kind of Memorial Day you want. But as you do, please make sure you take some time to think about those who died in military service. And remember that they didn’t get to have as many happy, silly, dumb or reflective days as they were meant to have. And make at least some effort to offset your happy, patriotic or silly pursuits with some mourning and reflectiveness.

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Copyright 2015 Liberaland
By: Stuart Shapiro

Stuart is a professor and the Director of the Public Policy
program at the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers
University. He teaches economics and cost-benefit analysis and studies
regulation in the United States at both the federal and state levels.
Prior to coming to Rutgers, Stuart worked for five years at the Office
of Management and Budget in Washington under Presidents Clinton and
George W. Bush.

6 responses to Can It Be A ‘Happy’ Memorial Day?

  1. Budda May 25th, 2015 at 09:25

    Good comment.

  2. William May 25th, 2015 at 09:45

    Never forget.
    Conservatives protest against health care
    Liberals protest against war.
    I never say happy memorial day. For me it’s a time of reflection. I volunteered to work today.
    On the other hand.

  3. David Ish May 25th, 2015 at 10:40

    Once I met he who was in a Japanese P.O.W camp. He told me to honor him and those who did not life though it was to vote.

  4. pignose4.0 May 25th, 2015 at 12:21

    And don’t forget ………..big Memorial Day sale come on down and save big money…..

  5. bpollen May 25th, 2015 at 16:17

    Generally, Memorial Day is kind of melancholy when I contemplate who we are honoring. When I think that most of these kids died because of things like economics and political posturing… If only those who vote to authorize war were required to be in the front lines, maybe we could stop it.

  6. oldfart May 25th, 2015 at 17:37

    I’m choosing to be happy because my father would want it that way.

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