{"id":309681,"date":"2017-05-25T06:54:44","date_gmt":"2017-05-25T05:54:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/newswire\/what-we-can-learn-from-war-memorials\/"},"modified":"2017-05-25T06:54:44","modified_gmt":"2017-05-25T05:54:44","slug":"what-we-can-learn-from-war-memorials","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/newswire\/what-we-can-learn-from-war-memorials\/","title":{"rendered":"What We Can Learn from War Memorials"},"content":{"rendered":"
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In Dryden, New York, a proposed solar farm recently caused a stir.<\/p>\n

Thousands of solar panels \u2014 enough to power 7,500 homes \u2014 are scheduled to be installed near a rural cemetery in the town. Some opponents complain that it\u2019s disrespectful to the veterans buried there.<\/p>\n

Energy and environmental considerations aside, what does it mean to respect our deceased service members and veterans?<\/p>\n

We visit their graves, to ensure their small flags stand upright. We grieve during “Taps.” These activities are healthy. But true respect \u2014 the kind someone who gave their life in service deserves \u2014 begins with learning from our country\u2019s mistakes, not ensuring a scenic resting place.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s easy to forget that memorials \u2014 gravestones, ceremonies, monuments \u2014 aren’t deceased persons themselves. Rather, they’re sacred markers for the living. They provide a space for public mourning, and they teach history.<\/p>\n

\"memorial-day-service\"<\/p>\n

(Photo: Pixabay)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Memorials can be spontaneous and unique, or they can become so commonplace that we no longer experience them meaningfully. Unfortunately, many events honoring veterans I\u2019ve witnessed over the past decade \u2014 I\u2019m an Iraq War veteran myself \u2014 have fallen under the latter category.<\/p>\n

On Memorial Day, we\u2019ll honor our service members killed in battle, along with deceased veterans. We\u2019ll be reminded of their sacrifice to our country. We\u2019ll hear stories of courage in combat. Respectfully, we\u2019ll bow for a moment of silence.<\/p>\n

But what will we learn? What will we do in the following days?<\/p>\n

Whatever we do, we should start by admitting that 16 years of war has run up enormous costs.<\/p>\n

According to the Watson Institute at Brown University, the United States has spent $4.8 trillion on war<\/a> since September 11, 2001. That number doesn\u2019t include residual costs, such as treatment for veterans and interest on money our government has borrowed to pay for war.<\/p>\n

Perhaps most tragically, it doesn\u2019t include the human costs, either \u2014 from resources redirected away from our communities at home, to the millions of Iraqi and Afghan civilians killed or displaced, to veterans and service members in the form of post-traumatic stress, moral injury, or worse.<\/p>\n

Those things seldom come up at Memorial Day ceremonies. Most won\u2019t discuss veteran suicide, either.<\/p>\n

Since coming home from Iraq in 2008, I\u2019ve known eight veterans who’ve committed suicide. Almost as many have made attempts. The latest Department of Veterans Affairs report on suicide says 20 veterans commit suicide daily<\/a> \u2014 and even that estimate is likely too low.<\/p>\n

Veterans who died from cancers linked to toxic burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan and Agent Orange in Vietnam \u2014 victims of military contractors whose top concern is profit \u2014 should receive special mention at ceremonies, too. Few will.<\/p>\n

Iraqis and Afghans who died helping U.S. forces as translators and escorts \u2014 along with deceased workers from other countries who served food, cleaned latrines, and washed U.S. soldiers\u2019 uniforms in hazardous duty areas \u2014 likely won\u2019t be included either.<\/p>\n

When we exercise our freedoms \u2014 our freedom of speech especially \u2014 we pay respect to veterans who took an oath to uphold the Constitution.<\/p>\n

But we’re repaying them poorly if we don’t use those freedoms to question our nation\u2019s military endeavors, especially when the results have been so barren. After our moment of silence this Memorial Day, we ought to ask if the wars waged in our name have been worth the costs \u2014 for veterans and everyone else.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

This piece was reprinted from Other Words<\/a> by RINF Alternative News<\/a> with permission.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In Dryden, New York, a proposed solar farm recently caused a stir. Thousands of solar panels \u2014 enough to power 7,500 homes \u2014 are scheduled to be installed near a rural cemetery in the town. Some opponents complain that it\u2019s disrespectful to the veterans buried there. Energy and environmental considerations aside, what does it mean […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2523,"featured_media":309682,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[519],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-309681","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-newswire"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/309681","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2523"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=309681"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/309681\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/309682"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=309681"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=309681"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=309681"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}