The beginnings of the Memorial Day holiday in the U.S. are a matter of ongoing study. It has for centuries been a custom for people to decorate their loved ones’ graves with flowers, but most recent scholarship credits a group of women in Columbus, Georgia, with the idea of a national day to decorate the graves of those who died in the Civil War. They publicized a letter in national newspapers in April of 1866 asking people to do this, and the practice caught on. 

Major General John A. Logan, head of a veterans’ organization in New York, issued the first official proclamation for a Memorial Day for those who died in service to the country. He designated May 30, 1868, as a “Decoration Day”—partly because that is when the spring blossoms were available in the North. 

Other states soon followed, but over time the somber ceremony to recognize the ultimate sacrifice of lives during war began to change. It became a day for picnics and political speeches, and for some people it has now become merely a celebration of the unofficial beginning of summer, with barbecues, parties, and neighborhood fireworks.

Is it time to reclaim the original purpose of the holiday? Time to remember and mourn those who have served our country and its ideals of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” of “liberty and justice for all?” 

It feels as if the U.S. is in the middle of another war as the very foundations of our country are under attack— not from a foreign entity but from our own leaders. Would your father who served in World War II, or your aunt in Korea, or your cousin in Viet Nam, or your niece in Iraq still be willing to die for a country

• whose leaders allow unelected officials to access our confidential information to target and intimidate us?
• whose legislators take funding for children’s food and services for our elderly citizens and give it to billionaires?
• whose cabinet members are dismantling the programs and staff who have worked for a fairer and more equitable access to success for underprivileged citizens?
• whose Department of Justice is being weaponized against those who speak out against its unfair policies?
• whose President is using executive powers to enrich himself at the expense of citizens like you and me?

We might feel the need for a national day of lament for what this administration is doing to our country. But let us take the focus off from their unscrupulous goals. Let us first honor those who gave their lives for the ideals in our constitution:

• freedom of speech
• freedom of assembly
• the right to elect our leaders
• the rule of law—not of a king
• the right to due process under the law

Remember and mourn them, and then it is time to do what we can to make sure they did not sacrifice their lives in vain. We must stand up and speak out for the kind of nation we want for ourselves, one that has:

• equal rights and justice for all citizens, with no exceptions
• safety from gun violence
• effective policies to address climate change and mitigate its effects
• a fair distribution of resources so all may thrive
• the opportunity to make a success of our lives and provide for our families

These are the ideals we need to embrace and work for, at all levels of society. Do what you can. Say what you must. Encourage others in your community to work with you toward these goals, so that we once again have a country worth fighting for.

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash