on national holidays like memorial day, i like to remember less-commemorated populations that made our country what it is today. native americans and africans sacrificed their cultures and lives, not by choice, to make our so-called democracy possible. seems like a paradox, somehow. their descendants also fought and died in wars waged to preserve our way of life, which was built on disrupting and destroying others’ ways of life. just because we were not alone in the world in behaving in this barbaric way, doesn’t justify it.
on days like today, we celebrate freedom, democracy, and fallen heroes who died defending those principles. or, at least, it’s another excuse to get off work and party with friends and family and beer. it’s the american way. why not also remember the people, both original americans and american slaves, who died in the line of fire, both as heroes and as collateral damage. that’s my mem-day speech. and now, back to beer.