http://www.coloradogold.com/archive/Memorial_Day-1058.html
Memorial Day
May 31, 2011
While Lyndon Johnson, proclaimed "Memorial Day's birthplace," to be Waterloo New York, in May 1966, that was hardly the birthplace of the day honoring America's armed forces dead. Several towns claim its actual beginnings, but of one fact there can be no doubt, and that it began in the South, during the War Between the States. Confederate women were decorating the graves of lost ones, even during that hideous war. In 1867, a hymn was published with the title, "Kneel Where Our Loves are Sleeping," with the dedicatory phrase, "To the ladies of the South who are Decorating the Graves of the Confederate Dead." Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on May 5th, 1868, by a Northern General, and on that date, flowers were placed on both Confederate and Union graves at Arlington National Cemetery. I am certain Robert E. Lee would have been very upset at his home being confiscated and turned into a cemetery.
The South refused to recognize the 'official' day till after WW I, since they had been regularly decorating the graves of departed loved ones continually, and on no certain day. May 30th is supposed to be Memorial Day, but Congress passed the National Holiday Act in 1971, to ensure a three day weekend for federal holidays, thus Memorial Day this year was on May 30th, as it is supposed to be, but it will be changed to make it a three day weekend in the future. Several southern states have an additional day for honoring their Confederate dead. January 19th in Texas, April 26th in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi, and June 3rd (Jefferson Davis' birthday), in Louisiana and Tennessee. The idea of wearing red poppies was begun in 1915, although it seems to have died off now.
Memorial Day seems to have decreased in observance of late, and few flags seem to be flying on the day designed to honor American military dead in all wars. Some even think it is to memorialize all dead, and not just soldiers. I flew my flag in honor of all American military deaths in all wars. However, while I honor and appreciate those who gave their lives in the armed forces of all branches, I still am amazed at the political lines which say that these men 'gave their lives to protect us.' They gave their lives to fulfill the whim of the Military-Industrial Complex, who make huge profits making guns, bullets, planes, tanks, and ships. That complex has the politicians in their hands with pressure, contributions, and lobbying.
On this day after Memorial Day, let us decry the needless deaths of millions of civilians and soldiers, who valiantly fought, thinking they were protecting America in Vietnam, Korea, Iraq, and Afghanistan. They were doing their duty, and believed that fighting needless, pointless wars tens of thousands of miles from American shores, 'protected America.' God bless them, and may God have no mercy on those who sent them there. Yes, that's YOU Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Lyndon Johnson, George Bush, and Barak Obama who keeps them there.
