ON THIS MEMORIAL DAY

On this Memorial Day I think back on the lives lost defending my right to pen this pondering. That I can sit in my easy chair and cry for political reason to return to the "land of the free and the home of the brave," is a heady thing.

Independence day lies on the horizon, even as we memorialize those who valiantly gave their lives for these fruited plains. An independence won against the last vestiges of feudalism. Of a country determined not to walk the path our forefathers were forced to endure under the British Crown: search and seizure of personal property, confiscation of arms, punishment for any who dared to speak out, and censorship of the press.

So many infringements wrought against the personal liberties of each and every American: signs of an ancient and prolific system of human control — feudalism.

Yet today, as I read the headlines and watch the shameful acts of our duly elected officials, I do not see Marxism or Nazism as other claim. I see the slide back into feudalism, where the few decide the "good" of the many. Where property and industry can be seized by edict. Where treaties and words of honor are exchanged for expedient gratification in the securing of political power and appeasement, where those favored by the crown are granted rank and privilege despite the rule of law. I see "officials" grasping every means at their disposal to circumvent the Constitution they have sworn to uphold.

My heart goes out to those who have defended this nation, to the families left behind, and in memory of the legacy they have loaned to each subsequent generation, loaned with their blood and toil. "Thank you," seems a hollow expression in the face of such noble acts.

May we, the recipients of your ultimate sacrifice, not squander your sacred gift.