Veterans' Day and the Best Way to Live It
What's the best way to honor veterans on Veterans' Day?
Some will shop. Some will go to a movie. Some will go out to eat. Some will decorate graves. Some will remember and tell about their own veterans this Veterans' Day.
I'm not sure that any of those activities are better or worse ways to honor veterans on "their" day.
My purpose here is to suggest a "best way" to honor veterans on Veterans' Day.
Men and women who sacrificed years, health, and even life and limb to serve in their country's military might well counsel us that the "best way" to honor them and their service would be to live our lives to the fullest.
For those veterans who gave their lives, their years, their quality of life to serve in the military to protect every freedom we enjoy as Americans, we could do nothing to honor them more than by protecting those freedoms for ourselves and our posterity.
Freedoms, like muscles, are strongest when regularly exercised.
The best way of exercising our precious freedoms is to fully use them.
Among those freedoms are those contained in America's Constitution which include:
~~~ Government chosen by the people
~~~ Government for the benefit of the people
~~~ Government accountable to the people
~~~ Laws enforced fairly, equitably and insuring the peace
~~~ the right to peaceably assemble and petition
~~~ freedom of religion
~~~ freedom of the press
~~~ freedom of speech
~~~ the right to keep and bear arms
~~~ freedom from illegal searches and seizures
~~~ the right to own and hold personal and real property
~~~ freedom from self-incrimination
~~~the right to a speedy and public trial by an impartial jury
~~~ freedom to have legal assistance, to confront accusers, and to call favorable witnesses
~~~ freedom from excessive bail or fines
~~~ freedom from cruel or unusual punishment
~~~ separation of powers as to those of the central government, the separate states, and the people.
~~~ and the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness under just laws.
Sadly for all that has been sacrificed to preserve those and other freedoms (such as freedom of conscience) many Americans may never appreciate their freedoms short of losing one or more of them.
As we celebrate our veterans' sacrifices, may we honor them by celebrating and exercising our freedoms which have been preserved and protected at such a great price.
© 2016-2017 Demas W.Jasper All rights reserved.
