2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: #236 "UNIFICATION ON VETERAN'S DAY"

     As can be broadly seen, we are terribly polarized and split apart in our country today in so many ways.  But maybe, just maybe, all of us could unify each year on something that we all have in common, which is to celebrate and give homage to those of our military troops who have given their lives fighting for our country.  Yes, many times we may not have agreed with the political decisions that sent our troops into areas of conflict all around the world.  But we all must remember that our troops don’t make those decisions, they simply do what they are ordered to do.  And many of them have paid a dear price for that service.

      My great wife was raised in Canada, and she tells me that every November 11 since 1921 there has been a national celebration of Armistice Day or, as it is also known, either “Remembrance Day” or “Poppy Day.”  Thus starting on about November 1, people all around the country and from every walk of life wear artificial red poppies on their clothing.  This had its roots in the poem “In Flanders Fields” by a Canadian named Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, and which begins “In Flanders Fields the poppies blow, between the crosses, row on row. . .”  Thereafter the tradition spread to much of the British Commonwealth.  It is in remembrance of troops who have died, especially in World Wars I and II, but also in other military conflicts as well.  The red poppies are worn over the heart, with the red representing the blood of all those who gave their lives, the black representing the mourning of those who didn’t return home, and the green leaf representing the grass and crops growing and future prosperity after the war had destroyed so much.  The poppy should be positioned at 11 o’clock to represent the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.  So I suggest that we adopt that custom in our country as well!  Let’s unify and celebrate our troops who gave their ultimate contribution by universally thanking them at this time of year – nationwide!   Accordingly, this coming January I will make it a point to locate places where we all can purchase these red poppies, and I will pass the word on to you so that, if you would like to help, we can start this new tradition of unification next year.  We should all agree that our fallen troops deserve forever to be honored, and this is how we can do it.  And we can become more unified as a country along the way.

Quote for the week:  “In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.”  Thomas Jefferson

Judge Jim Gray (Ret.)

2012 Libertarian candidate for Vice President, along with

Governor Gary Johnson as the candidate for President

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