A Moment to Pause, A Call to Act

Thoughts on Memorial Day, by Stuart.

This post was originally published on Memorial Day, May 26, 2025.

You might see reminders today to pause, if only for a moment, to honor our service members who sacrificed their lives in defense of our nation. Certainly, we should do that. But on Memorial Day we are also asked to do a little bit more.

In the National Moment of Remembrance Act (36 U.S. Code, section 116), Congress laid out its intentions for Memorial Day:

·      To pay tribute to individuals who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to the United States and their families

·      To take greater strides to appreciate their values, represented by their sacrifices

·      For the federal government to encourage citizens to dedicate themselves to the values and principles for which those heroes of the United States died

So yes, remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice, and remember also what they died for. Remember what about this nation – or about this nation’s potential – was worth so high a cost. 

Values and principles

For this Memorial Day, I took a few minutes to consider the “values and principles for which those heroes of the United States died,” or at least the ones that I think they might have died for:

·      Freedom of expression, assembly, and religion

·      Private ownership

·      Protection from abuses of government power (for example, habeas corpus, protections against self-incrimination and illegal searches and seizures)

·      Assumed innocence, until proven guilty

·      Choice in our livelihoods, and even the opportunity to be self-employed

·      Equal protection under the law, no matter who you are (there’s a long way to go until this is entirely true – but the fact that this nation has come so far over the last 250+ years speaks to the potential that exists here, as well as the effort required to realize it)

·      The right to petition the government for redress of grievances

·      Public support for the arts and sciences

·      A free press to tell truth to power

·      Free elections to hold power to account

·      Free and appropriate public education, including public media supporting such education

·      A social safety net, when life takes an unexpected turn

·      Veterans programs to support those who served

·      The ability to amend the constitution, allowing the nation to mature over time

This is not an exhaustive list, and you may have other things you love that I didn’t think of. However, I can imagine these things would overlap pretty well with the list of anyone who loves the dream of what America is and what it could be. Throughout most of human history, it has been rare that any nation would provide so much personal freedom and protection to any individual who would otherwise have no power or standing. 

I find it interesting – even comforting – that on this day, Congress encourages us to “dedicate ourselves” to these principles and values. They seem to imply that if we truly honor those who served and died to defend what they loved, then we should honor that which they gave their lives to defend. 

A moment to pause, and a call to act

Indeed, Abraham Lincoln implored us to do this very thing when he spoke at Gettysburg in November of 1863: "It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

He asked us to take increased devotion to the cause to sustain government of, by, and for the people.

Today we honor those who died, but we also honor the promise of the nation they defended. And we must realize that those in uniform may not be able to defend us from every threat our nation faces. 

Those who serve in the armed forces will be there to defend us against external threats but, because they must remain apolitical, they're limited in their ability to defend the United States against things like executive overreach and legislative indifference. In these cases, the people must carry the torch and, as Congress tells us, “dedicate ourselves to the principles and values for which those heroes of the United States died.” We can vote. We can show up at City Council meetings. We can march. We can spread the word.  

We still have the power to act.

A warning

In his farewell address in 1796, George Washington warned us about the danger of party politics: "The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism. But this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism. The disorders and miseries which result gradually incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an individual; and sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction, more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation on the ruins of public liberty."

Does that ring true?

Today may we consider what we believe is great about this nation – what we think is worth defending. May we then consider those things in today’s context. If all is well, may we be thankful. If it is not, then may we ask ourselves how we can dedicate ourselves to those principles and values. Our forebears and our honored dead expect nothing less.

Have a question or any feedback? Please leave a comment - I'd love to hear from you!