Look in the Mirror: Are We Worth their Sacrifice?
A young soldier from the United States Army’s 3rd Infantry Regiment — the Old Guard—stands beneath the blistering Arlington sun. His uniform is immaculate. His face unreadable. And on his shoulders: No rank. A silent gesture of respect to the men entombed behind him—unknown, unnamed, but never outranked. Three unknown young men who died in wars to protect the values and ideals the United States was founded upon.
The soldier walks the black mat in solemn rhythm — twenty-one steps, a pause, twenty-one seconds, a turn. Every movement is calibrated. Every count is deliberate. It’s a living tribute to the highest military honor we can render: the twenty-one gun salute. He commands silence and respect with his presence. Each step cuts through the stillness like a metronome of reflection. Reflection not just on the sacrifice, but on the values they died for.
Today, those values feel further and further away. A lack of political leadership, rising corporate greed, and late-stage capitalism have cheapened Memorial Day into an excuse to grill burgers, drink beer, and buy a discounted mattress. Across the country, people will enjoy the long weekend — rightfully using it to catch their breath from the stress of daily life. But in doing so, we risk forgetting what this day is actually for.
Memorial Day was never meant to be a celebration. It was meant to be a day to reflect on and honor not just the lives lost, but on the values and the country they died believing in. It’s a moment for those of us still living to examine our performance as Americans. The men and women who wear the uniform don’t serve politicians. They don’t lay down their lives for corporations. They swear an oath to an idea—a fragile, radical idea called America. An idea that too many people in power today have either forgotten or sold off.
https://www.lincolnsquare.media/p/look-in-the-mirror-are-we-worth-their
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