Something Else to Remember on Memorial Day

Memorial Day is a day set aside to remember those who have sacrificed in the Armed Services. It is usually reserved for those who served their country. While this is important, we should also remember those friends and family members who were left at home to worry, grieve, and if they were lucky, care for their heroes when they returned from the horrors of war. Still, only remembering the sacrifices of these people is not sufficient to truly honoring them. If we wish to honor those who have served, we should remember the situations which required their sacrifice and work to ensure the same sacrifice should not be needed by their children and grandchildren.

We should remember that most of those who have suffered because of the atrocity of war did not start the war. Private Snuffy did not decide on his own that the U.S. should intervene in Vietnam. SGT. Snuffy did not determine whether or not Saddam Hussein should be in power. There are no Rambos in this world. The enlisted men and women do not take it upon themselves to wage wars. That decision rests solely on the shoulders of Congress. (At least it is supposed to be though the office of the president has been working for about 70 years to change it.) We should recognize this and make it a point to elect officials who are less ready to send their constituents to war.

We should remember hearts and minds cannot be changed at the point of knife or barrel of a gun. It is quite the opposite. Violence can only harden hearts towards the violent. Violence can only ignite thoughts of revenge. On Memorial Day, we remember the violence directed towards our fallen brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, friends, and fellow countrymen and weep that we have lost them. Our hearts are then hardened. Our thoughts towards other countries are turned bitter. The rest of the world does the same towards us for the exact same acts of violence because their soldiers died in those places too.

Our brave men and women deserve to be honored and remembered. They deserve to be honored because they did what they believed to be right. They deserve to be honored because they did what they had to do. I believe we can honor them by seeing what they had to do and making sure others do not have to do it.

On Memorial Day, maybe we can start to forget a few things. Maybe we can forget that which has hardened our hearts. Maybe we can forget the bitter memories towards other countries. Maybe we can forget our violent past and reputation. Maybe if we forget, we can forgive. Maybe if we forgive, we can find better things to remember in the future.

Maybe we will remember the peace we enjoyed when the fighting stopped. Maybe we can remember humanity. Maybe we will remember to love all people. Maybe the rest of the world will remember how we changed and follow us. Maybe someday we will remember and be able to smile.

A story is worth a hundred words

This was originally printed in the May 3, 2005 issue of the River Cities Reader as an honorable mention for the Short-Fiction Contest.

Buying In

The crowds were eager and excitable as we faced off. Tension and heat connected us. Two crowds became one. The effect was deafening. Our voices and signs fought for the air. The crowd was everything.

Everything faded when I saw Protest Girl. She stood out amid chaos. She danced with friends. She sang dissent. Her sign, wittier than my own, bounced to the beat. Her face glowed under a blue bandanna. Everything revolved around her.

I imagined being her friend. Her smile directed at me. Holding hands. Dancing... As I daydreamed, the crowds began to shift.

Protest Girl's dance moved. My mind buzzed as she neared. I put myself into her path. The noise of the crowd returned. I was together with Protest Girl. The crowd was everything.

Spit landed on her cheek. Her eyes widened in horror. Shock took her voice. Her sign dropped. Her feet stopped. She no longer stood out.

My crowd enveloped me. It was just a crowd. The crowd was everything.

Is Was, a Paradox

I know what to say but I have no ideas. Of what I know, involves no things, only ideas, but I say the things that I know, ideas, not things, things about ideas, is was, a paradox.

I know not knowing, no ideas, no things to say, that which I know of, no, but I know to say that I say that I know, to say that I do not know, what I know not, but I know of knowing, no I do not, but I know, is was a paradox.

I know of the paradox, is was not a paradox, is is not a paradox, is was a paradox, the paradox does not know is was, as feet know not a pair of socks, no ideas, but I know, I say that I know while I do not know what to say, is was, a paradox.

I know no knowing of what to say, but knowing what I do not know, which I know not, and saying that I know what I know not is, was a paradox.

I know what to say.

No, I know to say what.

What do I know, I have no ideas to know the things that I do not know, I know what and I say no, and know, but what, and what I say, what I know, I know to say what, I know no things, to say nothing of what I know nothing of, I know that thing I say I have no knowing knowledge of, the thing that is nothing I know of, but I know not that I know these things, is was, a paradox.

I still know not what to say, I know what, that I know, but I know that I have said that I know nothing of that thing, no nothing, or no thing, that thing, but I know to say that I know things, but I do not know no things, nothing, I have said things, not nothing, I know that I do not know what to know, but I say that I know nothing, but what I have said, a thing is, a thing was, a paradox.

The thing is, was, a pair of socks, of socks I know things, but nothing of what I say knows things of socks, they are things, words, words know nothing, but I know the things that know nothing, I say these things, but I know no things that know nothing of me, but things know things that words do not know, say what, what, I know what, I know what things know nothing, but these things know not of knowing nothing, I know what the things know nothing of, but not all of what they know nothing of, I do knot know all things, or no things, or nothing, but things, I know not of the things I do not know, but knowing that I know what is, was a paradox.

Is, was, is a thing, was a thing, is is nothing, was is, after is, a thing, a straight line, time is nothing, time is a thing, was a thing, is is not anymore, time was is, now time is was, a straight line, circling, I know of time, I know what, I know no, I know things, I know is, I know was, I know a paradox: is was, a paradox.

Definitions?

cottonspew = rhymes with cotton's view, which seems to make others sick.

cottonspew = Cotton Spew, stuff uncontrollably exiting my mouth.

cottonspew = Cotton's Pew where I try to preach to the masses even though I don't have the pulpit.