Memorial Day, 2018
On Memorial Day 2018, President Trump honors the dead by celebrating what they fought for — and by making future fights less likely.
Words — or at least my words — are inadequate to the task of fully honoring those who gave their lives to defend American freedoms. President Trump, though, knew what to say. He’s under attack for an allegedly “tone deaf” tweet, but I think he nailed it:
Happy Memorial Day! Those who died for our great country would be very happy and proud at how well our country is doing today. Best economy in decades, lowest unemployment numbers for Blacks and Hispanics EVER (& women in 18years), rebuilding our Military and so much more. Nice!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 28, 2018
That’s the right thing to say. Those whom the Civil War era called “the honored dead” (an old-fashioned, but appropriate term), were not plaster saints who died so we could be a solemn, embalmed nation. They were living, breathing people who were unlikely to resent us for celebrating the gift they gave us.
Those who fought on America’s behalf fought so that we — their children and grandchildren, and their fellow countrymen and women — could be a free and great country. The marvelous thing about Memorial Day 2018 is that we are today a free and great country, and getting more so every day under the leadership of a president who loves both our country and the people of our country.
Moreover, using his amazing persuasion skills, backed up with a believable threat of military might, President Trump is rapidly bringing some of the world’s worst actors to heel, without firing a shot. That kind of leadership promises a decreasing number of deaths for us to honor on future Memorial Days, and I can’t think of a better way to be grateful to those who led the way.
