The Hijacking of Memorial Day

Lone Star Times contributor Owen Courrèges reports this morning on a disgusting new development from the bowels of Louisiana.

If one need proof that I was correct about Memorial Day being hijacked, you need look only to a headline in the New Orleans Times Picayune today: "A SEPARATE GRIEF: Memorial Day takes on new meaning: remembering the victims of Hurricane Katrina."

[Soldiers] only receive one mention in the entire piece — "Memorial Day is meant for soldiers. But in New Orleans on Monday, a city grieved for the dead of the storm."

In today's liberal media-driven culture of anti-military and anti-Americanism, I suppose this should not surprise me. But it does, and it hurts as well. This is far more than simple political correctness. As has previously been done removing the celebration of Christ from Christmas (or Winter Holiday), they are now trying to rewrite the purpose of this special day, on which we honor those brave men and women who have given their lives in the service and protection of our country.

As Owen states:

It is proper and fitting for those New Orleanians who lost family, friends, and loved ones to mourn their passing. Memorial services are wholly appropriate. But I feel it is highly disrespectful to try and hijack Memorial Day for any other purpose besides honoring soldiers who gave their lives, especially when we've seen nearly 2,500 die over the past few years in Iraq.

This is the equivalent of going to a friend's funeral, and using the opportunity to eulogize your mother who died recently, because you’re still broken up about it. It's completely out of place, and you shouldn't be surprised if people resent the act in spite of your own heartfelt loss.

I have to wonder just how many others in New Orleans actually felt that resentment, or expressed it to their city leaders.