Notes on Memorial Day

Did anyone else catch the opening ceremony at the Indy 500? There was an Army bugler playing Taps. In the middle of his moving rendition, the Indy people thought it a good idea to send a car paying tribute to Indy race car driver Dan Weldon, killed in a fiery crash last year, around the track. Idiots! People started cheering – the car I presume – in the middle of Taps. ABC had the good sense to cut away from the car almost immediately and even more sense to cut the crowd mics and run the gain up on the bugler. Right after the military ceremony, the Indy folks had a tape of Jim Neighbors singing Home in Indiana. That would have been the perfect time for any tribute to Dan Weldon.


I do not know if Americans, particularly those who populate the entertainment industry have even a clue of how to act or what is appropriate decorum at a military ceremony. You’d think in a country at war for 10 years these people would be getting a clue. If not, at least admit that they are clueless and ask, “What should we do?”

I also noted a nearly continuous conflation of Memorial Day, a day set aside for honoring our war dead and Veteran’s Day a day set aside to honor all who served. First it is never inappropriate to celebrate selfless service and say thanks to the Vets. But Memorial Day is different. Memorial Day is set aside as a remembrance of the dead.

In that vein, I noticed a lot military people who had been invited to attend the Indy and NASCAR races. Great. It seems to me though a more appropriate gesture on the part of organizers would have been to honor survivors of some of the fallen heroes, Moms, Dads, widows and their children in a special seating area for the relatives of our fallen heroes.

Heroes? Can you say that? Some little pipsqueak of a D-bag over at PMSNBC named Chris Hayes, is apparently “uncomfortable” with the word “hero” being thrown about in connection with our war dead. Chris is the perfect name for this waste of spermicidal tissue. “Chris” is an AC/DC name for an AC/DC half girl with in a pair of pants, sort of an unmanly Ellen sans the tennis shoes. The ever reserved and polite Ann Clouter may have Tweeted it best when she 140ed this about Hayes, “Chris Hayes ‘Uncomfortable’ Calling Fallen Military ‘Heroes’ – Marines respond by protecting his right to menstruate.” Chris Hayes is not worth the dust off a soldier’s boots. Of course he/she is s trying to back track now. He/she issued some BS apology that wasn’t an apology at all but rather an explanation of how stupid we all are for not understanding all the nuances of the larger point he/she was trying to make.

Not only is Chris Hayes too big a coward to ruck up, move out and draw fire, he/she is too big a coward to say, “What I said was wrong. It was insensitive on any day but particularly on Memorial Day. Anyone who dies while willingly putting himself in the line of fire is a hero. I beg your pardon. I am making a $10,000 contribution to the Marine Corps Law Enforcement Foundation to fund scholarships for the children of our fallen…yes heroes.” That’s an apology. Not some line of crap about what I said was right but the words were wrong. And if you think the left is upset about Hayes, guess again. Check out comments from the unhinged here. Every generation has its treasonous bitch. Vietnam had Jane Fonda. The war on terror has Chris Hayes.