HomeHomeMay 2002
This year, as Americans head into Memorial Day weekend, we’re being bombarded with new terror warnings, in which we are told our nuclear power plants, our rail system and even our seaports are at heightened risk. After eight long months, the alerts are beginning to wear on us.
Unfortunately, we’re not alone. The problems of the Middle East and India and Pakistan are seemingly never-ending, and continue to escalate. The pain and struggles felt by citizens from far-reaching corners of the world no longer seem so distant.
And while citizens in the United States wonder how real the increasing threats against us are, we are still assessing the events and warnings that led up to September 11th. While different factions attempt to find out what went wrong, the sad truth is that all those who perished on that terrible day will not be brought back by finding out who in the government--the White House, CIA or FBI--is to blame for not heeding the warnings. We need to learn from the past, and do what is possible to prevent further attacks from happening again.
In a nation not having ancient traditions or a thorough understanding of history, we struggle in our efforts to move on from September 11th. However, one thing is certain-- we must strive to understand our history, our role in the world, and take responsibility for being actively involved in shaping our families, and changing our communities for the better. In the U.S., Memorial Day weekend is known as the unofficial kick-off to summer, and many have forgotten the original history and traditions of this holiday, which are chronicled on the official Memorial Day web site at http://www.usmemorialday.org/backgrnd.html.
Memorial Day was first celebrated on May 30th, 1868, and honored those who died in the American Civil War. After World War I, the intent was to honor Americans who died fighting any war. In 1915, a woman named Moina Michael was deeply touched by following poem:
In Flanders Fields
by
John McCrae (1915)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.Ms. Michael was the first person to wear poppies to honor those who died serving the nation in war, and she sold her poppies to benefit needy soldiers. She also wrote her own poem:
We cherish too, the Poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led,
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never diesThe tradition spread to France with the help of a woman named Madam Guerin, who made artificial red poppies and raised money for children orphaned by the war, as well as widowed women.
Perhaps this year, the meaning of the holiday will resonate more than ever before. As we honor our war dead and our history, let’s remember that our future and our fate are not separate from those of the rest of the inhabitants of the globe. Our very survival depends on our willingness to understand and solve the root causes of the crises we're facing.
Teresa
tcallies@hotmail.com
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