The National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., July 2017 by MusikAnimal CC BY-SA 4.0 on Wikimedia Commons
This week is the last week of the Florida legislative session. I often complain to my colleagues and readers about how frustrating this process can be and I keep telling myself and others that it is the greatest process in the world. No matter how dysfunctional or how bad some of the public policy may seem, we as Americans should be proud to be here.
I was helping my 11-year-old neighbor with some history Homework and she and I talked about the fact that today marks the 15th anniversary of the opening of Washington D.C.’s World War ll Monument providing overdue recognition for the 16 million Americans who gave the ultimate sacrifice. This memorial, constructed of granite and bronze, showcases fountains between arches representing aggressors in Europe and the Far East. The arches are bordered by semicircles of pillars, one each for the states, territories and the District of Columbia, respectively. Beyond the pool is a curved wall of 4,000 gold stars, one for every 100 Americans killed in the war. An Announcement Stone declares that the memorial honors those “Americans who took up the struggle during the Second World War and made the sacrifices to perpetuate the gift our forefathers entrusted to us: A nation conceived in liberty and justice.”
The cause for physically defending our nation, as well as liberty and justice, was clear and was larger than simply our own freedoms in the first and second world wars: the world’s collective freedoms were at stake. And this notion of something larger than us became a call to action. Post-World War ll, our nation has found itself involved in a myriad of disputes, but none ever approached the scale of those two wars that set precedent for all future wars.
When World War ll became a uniting front for Americans, the advent of Pearl Harbor could not be overstated. When Weapons of Mass Destruction in the Middle East became a uniting front for Americans, the crush of 9/11, too, could not be overstated. Where then, do we stand in the face of a divided country with no superordinate goal? Suffice to say, we now have an opportunity to unite without needing an excuse.
In commemoration of those 16 million American men and women who served in World War ll, and the 400,000 that didn’t make it out alive, let us be inspired to look toward collective American prosperity as the new precedent for a uniting front while we still have the opportunity before us. Their lives and their service were given so that we may have the chance to speak freely within open and uninhibited discourse. Honor our heroes from the past and their sacrifices, and let us continue to perpetuate the gift our forefathers entrusted to us: A nation conceived in liberty and justice.
Hope to see you on Democracy’s trail always.
Lisa
LMA Newsletter of 4-29-19
