Decoration Day (Memorial Day)

Initially begun a few short years after the end of the Civil War, Memorial Day has expanded to honor those who died not only in the Civil War but also in all wars this nation has fought.  I humbly recognize and honor those who paid the ultimate price for the citizenry's freedom.  Freedom is not free.  I personally tweak the meaning of the holiday to include people who have given their lives for ideological and spiritual freedom.  It is very important an individual does not become a "cookie cut out" of everyone else around him or her.  Freedom of independent thought and expression are crucial.  Especially with the advent of instantaneous social media and news, people are shunned for such perceived fringe beliefs as: marriage and family consist of one man and woman, morality and truth is objective and not subjective, and abortion is murder.  These are to only name a few.  People I consider ideological and spiritual giants are: Martin Luther King, Jr., Medgar Evers, and Mahatma Ghandi.  The list could go on.  I challenge each and every one of us to remember the visionaries who have gone before us to blaze a trail so we may walk in physical, spiritual, and ideological freedom.

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