Tomorrow is Memorial Day, the day on which Americans stop to commemorate those who lost their lives in defense of our country while in military service. Last year, if I remember correctly, I honored the members of my family who had served in the armed forces during World War II and Korea. They both lived through their combat experiences, however, so I wanted to take a moment to express thanks for the many men and women throughout the past 234 years who have died in order to preserve the political, social, economic, and religious freedom that I enjoy today in 2010. Without the sacrifice of all of these people, we as a nation would not be able to enjoy the prosperity with which God has blessed us. Instead, we would be under the rule of a king or a dictator, possibly speaking German (or Japanese, depending), and unable to assemble peacefully to petition our government for redress of grievances. In so many ways, life as we know it would not be possible. We would not be free.
Yet, sadly, in America, we have misunderstood what true freedom is. Freedom is not the right to do whatever we want. Rather, it is the power to do what we ought. In other words, freedom is not just a state of being, it is a responsibility. In this country, we have lived far too long neglecting the responsibilities inherent in our freedom. And that neglect is, in part, an insult to the sacrifice of those who died to preserve our freedom.
So, on this Memorial Day, you may not be able to go out to a cemetery and decorate the graves of veterans now deceased. You may not attend a parade. But you can still honor these brave soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice by becoming responsible with your freedom -- for example, engage in the the political process by being cognizant of the issues and by voting intelligently. Our freedom only will last as long as we the people allow it to last. Let's not waste that freedom, and in so doing dishonor those who have died for their country.
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