Memorial Day’s name seems a bit ambiguous compared with its more precise object. To memorialize means to preserve the memory of or to commemorate. We do that with all sorts of persons and events. The monuments and statues around Washington, D.C., and across the country memorialize. Funerals do so…
emorial Day’s name seems a bit ambiguous compared with its more precise object. To memorialize means to preserve the memory of or to commemorate. We do that with all sorts of persons and events. The monuments and statues around Washington, D.C., and across the country memorialize. Funerals do so as well for the dearly departed. Nearly any holiday, sacred or secular, calls on us to reverently recall.
First, Lincoln articulated the cause for which these men died. He opened by describing America as a nation “conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.” The Civil War was waged over whether a country “so conceived, and so dedicated, can long endure.” Second, Lincoln defended the rightness of remembering as an act of gratitude. “It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this,” he said. Many make sacrifices for the good of their fellow countrymen. For each and all, we should be thankful. But these men “gave the last full measure of devotion.” They “gave their lives that that nation might live.” Those who give much deserve much. Those who give all deserve the best, the most we can feebly repay.
Finally, Lincoln called his hearers to action. The living should “be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.” We, the living, should be so dedicated because the cause is just. But we should also be dedicated out of respect for those men’s sacrifice, that “these dead shall not have died in vain.” The continued struggle for victory itself expresses our thankfulness for what these men already did for the cause.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Observing Memorial Day without saying 'Happy Memorial Day'When it comes to Memorial Day, it's not always a happy day. For loved ones of those who lost their lives in the service, it may be a painful observance.
Read more »
Visitors paying tribute at Battleship Memorial Park this Memorial Day weekendWe continue to honor the men and women who have fought, served, and died for our country. We caught up with families paying tribute to the sacrifice out at Battleship Memorial Park this Memorial Day weekend.
Read more »
Memorial Day marks the '100 Deadliest Days' for teen driversMonday marks the start of the '100 Deadliest Days' between Memorial Day and Labor Day. AAA reports seven people are killed every day on average across the country in teen driver-related crashes. MORE ⬇️
Read more »
Why Memorial Day and Independence Day should be back to backSometimes you get to know your own country best by visiting another country. That was my experience after a recent trip to Israel during their Memorial Day and Independence Day celebrations this past April. Perhaps, like me, you were unaware that in Israel, those two holidays are back to back.…
Read more »
Opinion: Memorial Day means more than a day off from workTake a moment to remember those who died while in service to our nation.
Read more »