A Veterans Day RemembrancE

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Veterans Day is officially celebrated to represent the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, when the guns of both sides of the Great War fell silent.
Horror, destruction and the seemingly needless loss of human life came to a halt. While it essy to see the ugly, harmful, craziness of war, it is often even easier for us to ignore our civilian and universal connection as humans to it. Yes, how easy it is to say it is “they,” not us who are responsible for the killing, destruction, pain, suffering. “We,” on the other hand, are innocent, clean, not a part of it, free to criticism “them.” “They” are often asked and brought to guilt or shame, “Did YOU kill anbody? How many did YOU kill?” Our Vietnam combat era taught us the shame and deep hurt done to “them” because of our sanitizing division between warrior and civilian. Perhaps war and conflict would greatly lessen if we realize the real universal truth: “We” all are responsible beings for life, death, construction, creation, destruction, and world annihilation. Scapegoating the warroir only fools us and the world, keeps us away from peace and unity, and leads to future division and conflict. Although we are each a unique gift in life, may we all remembet and reflect this day that, also, “They are Us.”