Memorial Day was originally established to remember all who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation. Unfortunately, we tend to soon forget those whose past sacrifice has made possible our present freedom. As tragic as this is, it is arguably more tragic for us to no longer remember the reason for which they died. This greater tragedy is put to verse in John McCrae’s famous poem: In Flanders Field.
In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
I fear that those meant to be remembered on this Memorial Day are turning over in their graves, due to the fact that we’ve not only dropped the torch they passed on to us from their dying hands, but have also broken faith with them, who gave their lives for us. Consequently, the America they fought and died for is no more. It is but a faint memory.
1. THE AMERICA THEY FOUGHT AND DIED FOR BELIEVED ALL MEN WERE ENDOWED BY THEIR CREATOR WITH CERTAIN INALIENABLE RIGHTS, SUCH AS THE RIGHT TO LIFE.
In today's America, however, more American lives are lost annually to abortion than have died in our Armed Forces in all of the wars ever fought in all of American history.
2. THE AMERICA THEY FOUGHT AND DIED FOR WAS THE WORLD’S MOST PROSPEROUS NATION.
In today's America, however, we’ve become the world's foremost debtor nation. Our national debt is unpayable and the percentage of our present population on government dependency is unsustainable. In fact, our government's annual tax revenue is insufficient to fund its entitlement programs and to pay the interest alone on our national debt.
3. THE NATION THEY FOUGHT AND DIED FOR WAS A NATION RULED BY LAW.
Today's America, however, is ruled by lawyers. All it takes to thwart the will of the American people, to undermine our Constitution, and to overturn our laws is a single dissenting black robed judge armed with a gavel.
4. THE AMERICA THEY FOUGHT AND DIED FOR BELIEVED IN FREEDOM OF RELIGION.
In today's America, however, Christians are being coerced to compromise their Christian convictions and Biblical beliefs as the price they must pay for citizenship in this country.
5. THE AMERICA THEY FOUGHT AND DIED FOR HAD PUBLIC SERVANTS.
Today's America, however, has professional politicians. No longer are our elected officials guided by principles, but by political expediency. They are self-serving rather than public servants, who do what is best for their political careers, not what is best for their country nor constituents.
6. THE AMERICA THEY FOUGHT AND DIED FOR HAD A FREE PRESS THAT SERVED AS A WATCHDOG FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
In today's America, however, the media no longer serves as a watchdog for the American people, but as a lapdog for politicians. Rather than reporting to the American people political scandal and government corruption, today's media often tries to whitewash political scandal and coverup government corruption. As a result, the American people are not being informed, but indoctrinated, and our elected officials are not being held accountable, but enabled to arrogantly commit the most egregious acts with absolute impunity.
7. THE AMERICA THEY FOUGHT AND DIED FOR HELD TO SELF-EVIDENT (ABSOLUTE) TRUTHS.
Today's America, however, holds to relativism, the belief that all truth is relative and in a constant state of flux, changing from time to time and from person to person. Therefore, today's America denies that their is such a thing as self-evident (absolute) truths. Anyone disagreeing with this absolute truth that there are no absolute truths is immediately condemned in today’s politically correct culture as intolerant. Consequently, there is no possibility of a course correction for our rudderless country, which is now sailing toward the rocky shoals of amorality, where nothing is right and wrong, with the lone exception that it is wrong to believe in right and wrong.
8. THE AMERICA THEY FOUGHT AND DIED FOR GUARDED ITS BORDERS AND ENFORCED ITS IMMIGRATION LAWS IN ORDER TO PROTECT AND PRESERVE ITS CULTURE.
Today's America, however, has sacrificed its culture—the American way of life—on the altar of multiculturalism. Consequently, our borders are overrun, our immigration laws are unenforced, and any attempt to protect and preserve our culture is readily condemned as xenophobia.
9. THE AMERICA THEY FOUGHT AND DIED FOR WAS ONE NATION UNDER GOD; THAT IS, A NATION FOUNDED UPON ITS ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF GOD.
In today's America, however, our government, which was founded upon its acknowledgment of God, is forbidden to acknowledge God by its own courts. As a result, our government has ceased to protect and preserve our God-given and inalienable rights, which is the very purpose for which it was established. Instead, it is now usurping the place of God, by not only making itself the arbiter of our rights, but also by granting itself the power to revoke our rights at its own caprice.
10. THE AMERICA THEY FOUGHT AND DIED FOR WAS A GOD-FEARING COUNTRY.
Today's America, however, has become a godless country that has not only turned its back on God, but passed a point of no return with God. According to the Bible, the acceptance and advocacy of homosexuality is a sure sign of spiritual reprobation (Romans 1:26-32). How spiritually reprobate has a nation become that not only accepts and advocates homosexuality, but has enshrined same-sex marriage in its laws?
In Psalm 137:1-4, Jewish exiles in Babylon are portrayed as remembering their beloved nation, and especially its beloved capital, Jerusalem. Unfortunately, neither existed anymore. Jerusalem lay in ruins. Its temple had been reduced to rubble, and they, the surviving remnant, had been carried away captive to a foreign land, where their captors were now requesting them to sing some of the famous songs of Zion. However, by the rivers of Babylon, they explained to their captors that the songs of Zion could not be sung in a foreign land. Instead of singing, they brokenheartedly hung their harps in the weeping willows that surrounding them.
Like the Jewish exiles in Babylon, we too find ourselves fondly remembering our former nation in a foreign land. The America we knew and loved is no more. We find ourselves today in a foreign land, a nation that no longer resembles its former self. What it once stood for it now stands against. What it once commended as right it now condemns as wrong and what it once condemned as wrong it now commends as right. Still, we're called upon on this Memorial Day to sing our famous patriotic songs, like God Bless America. Yet, it is impossible to sing these songs in today's America, since it is impossible for God to bless it in its obstinate and stiff-necked rebellion against Him. Thus, on this Memorial Day, I for one am hanging my harp in the willows and weeping over my long lost country in this foreign land that no longer resembles it at all.