Posted by Pinky.
For the past three years, Bunny, Kim, Mimi, and I have been observing Memorial Day by spending the day in silence. But since writing doesn't require talking I think it's okay for me to make an entry in this diary.
For our international readers who aren't familiar with 'Memorial Day', it's a national holiday here in the U.S. that was created to remember and honor people who died while in military service to their country. When I was younger I used to get it confused with 'Veterans Day' because that one is also about people who served in the military (although for that one you don't have to have died in order to be honored). To add to my confusion, in practice both holidays are observed in similar ways: lots of USA flags, parades, day off from school and work, sporting events with U.S. Air Force jet plane fly-overs, big mattress and automobile sales events, backyard BBQ parties, etc. Anyway, USA culture is pretty complicated.
We (cats) first started observing Memorial Day by not talking after Kim had brought up the question, "How are we going to celebrate Memorial Day?" Considering the somber nature of the event the word "celebrate" struck me as not fitting so well. So we started talking about it and in the end we all decided to use the day as a day of reflection, to just be silent and think about its meaning.
This morning we got an e-mail from a soldier serving in Iraq asking if we are "anti-soldier", and if we "even celebrate Memorial Day at all". I wrote back saying no, we are not "anti-soldier", although it’s true that in general I don't support what the U.S. military actually ends up doing. Militaries tend to serve the interests of the ruling elite, not ordinary people.
As for Memorial Day, I think in general it represents War Culture. For example, why do we have a day to remember people who fought for 'peace & justice' as it's defined by The State, but we don't have a holiday for those who fought The State in the name of peace and justice? The absence of such a holiday is War Culture. And is it really honorable to memorialize the soldiers who fought and died in wars, without also acknowledging the millions of innocent civilians who died as a direct result of those same wars? The valuing of some people's lives and the dismissal of others' is also War Culture. These kinds of contradictions explain why Memorial Day is a national holiday, while, say, federal and state employees don't get a day off to celebrate 'LGBT Liberation Day'. Which, by the way, would be a wonderful holiday and I would be very happy to celebrate it.
Personally I know a lot of soldiers and former soldiers and at a personal level I respect them. But I also understand that they are part of a system that I oppose. The military industrial complex is a problem, not a solution.
Now back to silence. This keyboard is super noisy.
~pinky