Who We Choose to Remember | Memorial Day 2020
- karmaliraia
- May 25, 2020
- 2 min read
Today is Memorial Day, a national holiday observed for around 154 years to remember and honor those who lost their lives while fighting for the United States. In quarantine, a day off school or work feels slightly less significant, but that gives us all the more time to reflect on what exactly Memorial Day is and who we choose to remember.
Originally observed for the purpose of those who lost their lives in the Civil War, it now expands to anyone who has lost their life during any war while serving our country. Families have lost loved ones who chose to sacrifice their own lives for the protection of this country, speaking to the American ideal of service we pride ourselves in across many different spectrums.
However, there were two sides to the Civil War. Some states are still honoring the confederacy whose agenda was aimed at ensuring Black Americans remained forcefully serving as slaves through Confederate Memorial Day.
Confederate Memorial Day as a state holiday is an appalling and dangerous glorification. Just because there is history, doesn't mean it needs to be celebrated. If it is, does it not deserve some context? Learning about this holiday reminded me of the iconic Chimamanda Adichie's The Danger of a Single Story. Which parts of history do we choose to tell and write into our textbooks? Has anyone asked Germany?
For me, Memorial Day should also be a time to reflect on the lives we put at risk outside our American scope due to our interference in international conflict. The harsh reality of Memorial Day is that while there are hundreds of thousands of lives lost as a sacrifice to this country, not every one wears red, white, blue and a combat uniform.
I recently spoke to a close friend living in Damascus, Syria, about the impacts our country have had on his daily life. He remembered an instance where a rocket landed just steps away from him, recalling the situation at that time regarding American interference with Isareli forces.
Trump's tensions with leaders across the "Middle East" have had much larger implications on the lives of millions of families. Conflict is a twisted way of showcasing our American strength. To what extent should "self defense" be used as a justification for harming innocent humans with beautiful cultures, traditions, and lives just like ours?
In October 2015, the US Airforce AC 130-U gunship attacked a 'Doctors Without Border' site in Northern Afghanistan, killing 42. President Obama issued an apology and $6,000.
In May 2019, an accidental airstrike also in Afghanistan killed over a dozen local police officers, mistakenly thought to be Afghan forces.
Weddings turn into funerals. Hospitals and schools accidentally turn into graveyards. We have so many leaders to remember for selflessly fighting for our country, but we must also remember the lives of those viciously attacked for what seems like American ego-fullfilment. "Self-defense" as a justification is starting to feel like The Boy Who Cried Wolf.
This year, I'm taking time to reflect and reconsider who else I need to honor and remember. I salute and cherish all veteran heroes and their service to our country. I love this country, but we need to be teaching history from different angles and perspectives of those not at the table.
Thanks for reading <3
xo,
Raia
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