Veterans Day/Armistice Day

Today is the rememberance of the end of World War 1 at the 11th hour of November 11th, 1918.  20 million people died in the war, and a 2 minute  moment of silence at 11am is observed in many parts of the world.

I am not exactly sure that I agree with our children not going to school on this day, and many other Federal Holidays.  I feel the public school system does a poor job of teaching our children the real meaning of these days.  Apprecitation for what we have and understanding of why we have it both need to be greatly improved. 

I wrote a couple of years ago about my experience in a movie theater in Washington D.C. when the movie Saving Private Ryan came out.  I attended the movie with my wife and a business partner.  There was a group of teenagers a few rows in front of us who continued to laugh and mock at the most sentimental and powerful parts of the movie.  It was VERY UPSETTING to myself and the group of people I was with.  It was clear that these youths didn’t grasp the full meaning of the War (WW2), nor did they appreciate the sacrifice that has benefitted them. 

It is up to our parents and schools to make sure traditions, their meanings and origins are not lost.  We are not just random chemical accidents walking around.  There is a purpose to life.  Morality has to be brought back into The United States. 

A famous athlete like Michael Vick can kill a dog and get 18 months in prison and stir a strong debate in our culture, but nobody cares about the athlete or movie star (or anyone else for that matter) who has 8 children with 6 different women.  Our society has changed enough that it’s now acceptable to do terrible, immoral things.  This makes me sad and angry at the same time.

Today I hope that we all take some time to think about the sacrifices that have been given to us from our veterans…and why.  Why do people volunteer to risk their lives to protect you and me and our way of life?  There is a purpose.  This country has greatness in it.  The mainstream has lost it’s way, but the core, foundation is still here.  Examples are being set every day. 

Many of those outstanding examples come from our men and women of the armed forces.  Thank you, veteran, for helping secure our way of life and for giving of yourself freely to protect us.

Have a great Veterans Day, and be sure to talk to your children about it’s origin and meaning.  Let’s teach our youth to appreciate what they have.  If we don’t we will eventually lose it.