Reminders

  I've written several times about Decoration Day, now known as Memorial Day and just what the significance of the day is. The original date chosen was May the fifth. That date was chosen because no major battles had ever been fought during the civil war on that day. We say the civil war but back then it was the war of rebellion. That is how that war was referred to. Those confederates had rebelled against the nation! It wasn't an insurrection however, that didn't happen until Jan 6, 2021! Well at least that is what the "confederates" of today called that. It had been exactly 159 years, 8 months and 25 days since those confederates fired upon Fort Sumter beginning the war of rebellion. They were seceding from the union, not trying to overthrow the current government. Their intent was to start a nation of their own. The reasons were many but centered around commerce. Thing was they didn't have the means or the money to finance any of that. The industrial might of the north overwhelmed them in the end, and they had to capitulate. The union was saved. The rebels were allowed back into the union and given their place in government. The pardons and forgiveness began with Abraham Lincoln and in 1970 after having discovered Robert E Lee's Amnesty Oath in the national archives, his citizenship was restored by an act of congress, a republican congress in fact. In fact, almost everyone in the leadership roles during the civil war were granted pardons and their citizenship restored. 

 So, after the war of rebellion had been won by the north the mood became one of reconciliation. Reconstruction of the south was a top priority. Forgiveness and compassion for the defeated. There have been many claims about just where Decoration Day began. Some say it was in Pennsylvania, others in South Carolina. The place doesn't matter the sentiment does. It began with the placing of flowers of the graves of those that had lost their lives in battle during the civil war. General Logan, commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in 1868 declared May the fifth to be promoted as a day “for the purpose of strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion.” That is the sole purpose of the day. A day of remembrance! A day that we should all decorate the graves of all the fallen soldiers. A day for them, not for us to enjoy barbecue and beers! Memorial Day should be a solemn occasion marked with reflection and respect. It is as the name implies, a memorial! The word derives from the Latin word "memoriale" meaning a reminder. It's not a celebration, it is a reminder of the price paid for freedom. 

 The battle for freedom continues to this very day. The confederates are still among us, we call them Democrats. The union is strong and those that belong to the union are called the republicans. The confederates have accused the republicans of insurrection! Of attempting to overthrow a government they attempted to abandon themselves. So, I guess the confederates have decided the union is a good thing, they are attempting to preserve freedom by any means necessary. At least they have figured out they need the money the union has! They need the industrial strength. Well, some of them have, others still talk about leaving the union, forming their own nation. No plan, no idea how they are going to finance that choice either. 

 Some things just never change I suppose. And the battle rages on. It's all about money, always has been and that won't change either. Don't think so? What is the biggest threat to freedom? The ability to survive is the answer to that question. Remove the resources to survive and you become dependent, not independent. Freedom is lost. No money, no freedom. It's really that simple. A lot of people need to learn that lesson and be reminded of it often. Freedom isn't borrowed! Freedom is something you have to pay for!