LTTE From the Democracy For Missouri Prez

I recall Memorial Days in my youth: a parade down Main Street to the Memorial Library, where solemn and patriotic speeches were made over the lawn covered with neat rows of white wooden crosses, followed by a 21-gun salute by the VFW - men who just 15 years before had freed the world from tyranny.

Sweet memories. So what have we today?

The Columbia Memorial Day Fly-in I attended bears little resemblance to a sincere memorial of war dead. This year’s headlined 10,000-square-foot "Virtual Army Experience" attracted participants lined up as if they were at Disneyland, to play soldier on widescreen video screens with a climax of realistic explosions. (No cries of the dead and wounded, no screams of women and children - just "Shock and Awe" explosions.)

When did war become a game?

When did Memorial Day become an obscene military recruitment tool?

As a member of Democracy for Missouri, I was present outside the VAE, helping to hand out more than 200 American Friends Service Committee DVDs on the truth about enlistment and military service. We are told that once inside, uniformed VAE personnel offered to break the discs. I pray that those who held onto their DVDs will watch and share them. Democracy breathes truth.

The "Fly-in" as organized was very poorly attended, and there were few old planes in evidence - just recruitment "rides." My hope is that organizers will have an epiphany about the true meaning of Memorial Day and stop glorying in weaponry and destruction.

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Bill Monroe

505 E. 10th St.

Fulton

Salute to Veterans Airshow: Rememberance of our fallen war dead or a recruitment tool

photo by Bill Monroe

I have been to the Salute to Veterans airshow off and on for the last 14 years and what I saw today was the most egregious show of disrespect to those who died for this country. Instead of having a tarmac full of old planes and stories by veteran pilots, it is now a show to recruit those into military service. All the military services were there. Their main demographic they were aiming at were children and young adults 13 or above. Not only did they have over sized mascots walking around, the Army had what was called the "Virtual Army Experience" This was a virtual reality game that one can go through and kill the "bad guys". In my opinion, this was very inappropriate. Memorial Day is a holiday to remember and mourn our war dead. When I was growing up, it meant going to the nearby military cemetery and paying your respects. Most of the time, we just went to the park and picnicked with family. But here at the Columbia Regional Airport it is about paying homage to our war machines. For those who would like the Wikipedia definition of Memorial day, just click on link.

Many military people were very friendly and insisted that they gave me the right to live free. Sorry folks, my constitutional rights are inherent, they are not given to me and especially not by the military. Comment and share your thoughts :)