Memorial Day is not just the start of summer or a time for barbecues; it is a day of remembrance, dedicated to honoring the men and women who lost their lives in military service to the United States.
Celebrating Memorial Day should be a day for national unity. It is a day to bring together people from diverse backgrounds to reflect on the price of freedom. Freedom is never free; it is bought by the lives of extraordinary individuals who answered their country’s call.
My dad’s generation was called the Greatest Generation, those who grew up during the Great Depression and who fought in WWII, or whose labor helped win it. They were low-key citizens who returned to ordinary lives after Hitler was defeated. Many postponed their careers and many gave their lives to fight in the war. It was the Greatest Generation ever because they saw their duty as the right thing to do, not to gain fame and recognition. My dad was an ensign on the USS Pensacola for three years, three months and three days in the South Pacific.
So, what happened? When did we sacrifice solid American values and instead start wallowing in greed, power and self-centeredness? It may have been in the late 1900’s when the self-sacrifice and teamwork that helped the United States persevere began disintegrating into greed and materialism.
The decline was accelerated by the 2020 election with a segment of the population debating such topics as the legitimacy of elections every minute of every day on social media.
The enemies today are not Japan, Italy or Germany. Instead, they are domestically produced, such as global warming, mass shootings, conspiracy theories, domestic terrorism, the nation’s political divide, a growing antigovernment sentiment that’s exemplified by angry radio and television public affairs programs, social injustice, the high costs of higher education and health care, the misuse of technology through fake news, an economy that doesn’t work for all, a disappearing middle class, and rising authoritarianism.
There’s a need for Americans of all ages to step up and live the noble ideals that carried us through tough times – not just World War II, but also Watergate, the Vietnam War, the 9/11 attacks, the Iraq War, and the assassinations of President Kennedy, his brother Bobby as well as of Martin Luther King Jr., and the attack on our nation’s capitol on January 6th.
Today, there are serious enemies to our greatness: A country that teaches our kids to put forth an effort only when they can expect a big reward and to work at jobs not to earn money for college, but to spend on useless stuff. There is the birth of artificial intelligence, which will fundamentally change our country and the world.
There is apathy, a force of inertia that keeps us addicted to cell phones, social media and things devoted to our pleasures.
There is still too much anger and violence, in our schools and in our neighborhoods, in society and of course, in our hearts.
We need a new “Greatest Generation” to seize control of their futures and ensure the United States’ status as the world’s most powerful nation. They must make a new commitment to public service and contributions beyond just political agendas.
We need to continue to share our unique talents overseas, offering the latest techniques in such areas as producing safe drinking water, operating farms, building schools, providing medical assistance and so much more.
On the home front, we need new volunteers to work in our schools, civic organizations and charities, and to help revitalize our communities.
We need parents to run for school boards and to help their kids with homework. We also need courageous community leaders who will help local governments manage the public’s business without fear of mean-spirited personal attacks. We need people to help tutor at-risk kids and to register new voters.
We still need all Americans to show us we still have the right stuff in our military but war is not the only way to prove greatness. Sacrifice, unity, hard work and humility must once again define the American character.
We’re not a broken nation but simply unfinished and always striving not to become perfect, but to become a “more perfect union” as enumerated in the preamble to the U.S. Constitution.
It is time that we all get to work or risk becoming the “worst generation.”
Jim Martin can be reached at jimmartinesq@gmail.com
Sign up for Sound Off to get a weekly roundup of our columns, editorials and more.
To send a letter to the editor about this article, submit online or check out our guidelines for how to submit by email or mail.
