Reposted for Memorial Day.
An Englishman decides that it is a sentiment not worthy of mockery, after all.
The Americans are more old-fashioned than us, and what is equally admirable, they are not ashamed of being old-fashioned. They know Churchill was a great man, so they put his house on the map. There is a kind of Englishman to whom this sort of behaviour seems painfully unsophisticated.
[...]
But lest these impressions of the United States seem unduly favourable, it should be added that the Americans have not remained in happy possession of their free constitution without cost. Thomas Jefferson warned that the tree of liberty must be watered from time to time with the blood of tyrants and patriots. To the Americans, the idea that freedom and democracy exact a cost in blood is second nature.
[...]
We stood at Gettysburg, scene of the bloodiest battle of all, on a field covered with memorials to the fallen. Here Abraham Lincoln gave his great and sublimely brief address, ending with the hope “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”.
Again some Europeans will give an unkind smile. All this sounds so Puritan, so naïve and so self-righteous. We cannot help feeling that the Americans ought to have been able to settle their quarrel without killing each other, and, while we cannot defend the institution of slavery, we wonder whether the North had the right to impose its will by force.
[...]
The Americans are prepared to use force in pursuit of what they regard as noble aims. It is yet another respect in which they are rather old-fashioned. They are patriots who venerate their nation and their flag.
[...]
But when the Americans speak of freedom, we should not imagine, in our cynical and worldly-wise way, that they are merely using that word as a cloak for realpolitik. They are not above realpolitik, but they also mean what they say.
These formidable people think freedom is so valuable that it is worth dying for.
A very moving piece this American was grateful to read.
Check out Chris Muir’s dose of reality.
This 86 year old Vet honors his comrades.
Shauna Fleming, meanwhile has organized A Million Thanks.
President salutes the troops. Literally.
Meanwhile, AJ brings successes in Iraq you might not have read about.
More for Memorial Day:
Flopping Aces says Remember
Ubiquitous Fred Thompson says I Remember
Me Delivering a Message to my Milreaders
A soldier writes a letter to the press
Old Broad says Honor Them
Neo-neocon on honoring and mourning
Thoughts on the hell that is war
WELCOME: Jules Crittenden readers. This weekend we’re also still rallying to impeach President Bush, looking at just how beholden Hillary is to rich people and countries; we’re wondering whether Al Gore has the stones to debate this 15-year old and we’re stunned, as usual, at Bill Clinton’s chutzpah. Happy reading!
May 26th, 2007 at 11:45 pm
Memorial Day: To remember…
In memory.
Photos taken at the United States of America & Philippines World War II memorial in Manila.
updated 5/26/2007:
Links of note:
The Anchoress gives us something to think about…with more links too.
Cox and Forkum show their tribut…
May 27th, 2007 at 7:20 am
“We cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men living and dead who fought here have hallowed it far beyond our poor power to add or detract.” So said the man who commanded half of them, and who was humble in the face of so much death, as he was, if I remember correctly, at the freshly fought over battlefield of Antietam, where the men fell like wheat before the scythe and were lying there still when he arrived.
We should be equally humble in the face of our dead. Indeed, we should carry them with us to humble us all days and not just this one. Too often, in all of our other days, we have in our head the old Gordon Lightfoot song line, “And many are the dead men, too silent to be real.”
Humility is a hard thing, we so seldom see our dead, and they are deliberately shielded from us by pomp and circumstance, by politics and malice. The soldier who was buried in a winding sheet and a shallow unmarked grave lost to our knowledge has as much honor as the one in the lead lined casket over whom is shot guns and played “Taps”. He earned it himself. We have no power to add or detract.
The pomp and circumstance is for us who cannot face our dead without them. And, while we venerate our nation and our flag, decorate our graves the last week in May, and celebrate the living on a certain day in November, we are largely far too proud of the fact that we do this, returning from pomp and circumstance to politics and malice with practiced ease.
We should listen to the last public words of that very humble man who sent thousands to die and carried them with him for his full term of office and into the theater box of his own death.
“With Malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right…”
May 27th, 2007 at 8:38 am
[...] The Anchoress "Americans will die for freedom….." [...]
May 27th, 2007 at 10:37 am
[...] The Anchoress for the article, the lovely Atlas for the [...]
May 27th, 2007 at 12:34 pm
Thoughts and prayers for all of the Brave Americans who have fought for freedom.
Especially those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
The ANCHORESS website looks grand…
Best wishes to all on this special weekend.
May 27th, 2007 at 12:37 pm
SUPPORTING THE FINEST…
Truly humbling seeing impressive Men & Women fight for Freedom….
May 27th, 2007 at 4:08 pm
[...] so much more. Memorial Day fills me with gratitude for the many fine Americans who have defended our country by [...]
May 27th, 2007 at 7:36 pm
And the article had another especially nice part:
While Europe has engaged in the headlong and frankly rather immature pursuit of novelty - how many constitutions have the nations of Europe been through in this time? - the Americans have held to the ideals enunciated more than 200 years ago by their founding fathers.
And the yakkity -yak from Europe is - what? That we don’t know what we’re doing.
Interesting note to the celebrated argument that the Islamic wars have been going on for eons… We’ve only been around a couple hundred years. Maybe that antiquated Constitution we have can finally make a difference.
May 27th, 2007 at 8:33 pm
[...] The Anchoress has a great post of an article written last November by an Englishman, Andrew Gimson, on just who Americans really [...]
May 28th, 2007 at 8:31 am
Web Reconnaissance for 05/28/2007…
A short recon of whats out there that might draw your attention….
May 28th, 2007 at 8:35 am
First Cup 05.28.07…
……
May 28th, 2007 at 8:40 am
Memorial Day 2007….
Today, we honor those who have gone before. In November, we honor the living. I don’t mind the sales. Commerce built this country. I don’t mind “Going to the Lake” - having fun with family and friends makes life worth……
May 28th, 2007 at 11:01 am
[...] The Anchoress remembers that Americans will die for freedom… [...]
May 28th, 2007 at 12:09 pm
Thank you…
The Cotillion Memorial Day Round-Up: Wild Thing remembers what Memorial Day is all about and gives us her thoughts on what this day means, with her usual eloquence and style. Don’t miss it! A Lovely Infidel asks “What are……
May 28th, 2007 at 12:44 pm
Memorial Day 2007…
The Cotillion Memorial Day Round-Up: Wild Thing remembers what Memorial Day is all about and gives us her thoughts on what this day means, with her usual eloquence and style. Don’t miss it! A Lovely Infidel asks “What are……
May 28th, 2007 at 1:26 pm
Memorial Day Images…
These were taken last year, the weather is not looking too cooperative for more photos today.
Others: Jules Crittenden, The Anchoress,
……
May 28th, 2007 at 2:54 pm
[...] another. “These formidable people think freedom is so valuable that it is worth dying [...]
May 28th, 2007 at 5:07 pm
Anchoress, what a wonderful post from across the big water. Every once in a while, I’m amazed at the perspicacity of Europeans when they stop being so supercilious. Thanks and thanks for reflescting so well on our honored fallen.
May 28th, 2007 at 6:12 pm
[...] The Anchoress (with more links) [...]
May 28th, 2007 at 6:31 pm
I’m Still Off-Duty….
I’m doing some grilling this evening, prepping the Saturn so I can sell it this week, and figuring out how to drum up some business. So light blogging will continue until it stops. But the Anchoress has a lovely Memorial……
May 29th, 2007 at 3:49 pm
[...] Memorial Day: “Americans will die for freedom…” [...]
May 29th, 2007 at 4:11 pm
[...] who help to make the job of every soldier in Iraq more difficult. Your son died fighting - like the very noblest and most formidable of heroes - to free a people and a nation from tyranny, and to rid them of the nests of violent and murderous [...]
August 23rd, 2007 at 4:29 pm
Memorial Day Dawn Patrol…
Welcome to the Dawn Patrol, our daily roundup of information on the War on Terror and other topics - Today our nation celebrates Memorial Day, a time when we pause to remember our veterans who have died defending our country and our freedom. Our nation…