All the energy spent raising that flag every day at the State House would be better spent on this kind of war memorial, one that would have meaning for all of us:
Brad,
I firmly support your move to get the flag off the state house grounds. Its value, however meaningful, pales in comparison to the negative emotions it creates.
I hate to bring up another topic in the midst of this movement, but I wanted to talk to you about how we plan to honor the Marines and soldiers from South Carolina who have died in Iraq. I am a former Marine officer and every day I wake up I thank God that I am fortunate enough to be in my own house and only concerned about unimportant things like work and domestic responsibilities. Whereas, those in Iraq are patrolling every day in hostile terrain and hoping they get to see their families back home again. I think we have a responsibility to honor those who have died to the best of our ability.
I am also the reforestation technician for the city of Columbia, which means I am in charge of all the trees that get planted in the right of way. I know a good bit about trees, so I propose we plant a tree on state grounds in memory of each serviceman or woman who has died in Iraq or Afghanistan. I can provide trees myself, or find them elsewhere. But I am willing to organize this entire effort. Since I see this as something I can do, that’s my idea, but if someone has something better, I will support that as well. We just need to do something. I have emailed the governor’s office a couple of weeks ago, but failed to get a response. What are your thoughts on this idea? I know you are probably overwhelmed with flag emails this week, but mull it over and let me know what you think. I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you.Sincerely,
Sounds like a promising idea to me. I told Carroll I’d put it up on the blog to see what folks think of it. So here it is.
Related Posts
This is an atrocious idea. I’ve had enough of glorifying the dispicable war in Iraq.
Um, bud, in case you didn’t notice, this is about the troops that all the war opponents keep saying they support. There wasn’t a word here about U.S. policy or anything else. He said he wants to honor “those in Iraq (who) are patrolling every day in hostile terrain and hoping they get to see their families back home again.”
It’s about honoring those who died in our service. It’s about as noncontroversial as apple pie. Less so, in fact, since some of us happen to be allergic to apple pie. And trees, too, for that matter, so scratch that.
There is no defensible reason not to want to honor these troops.
How about a memorial to the hundreds of people who died on our highways last year, or aids victims. Sorry, but this is simply not necessary or desirable. Stop hiding behind the troops Brad. It’s really become quite sickening. The more we glorify wars with monuments and memorials the more acceptible it becomes. The Iraq war is nothing but a disgraceful act of imperialism and I don’t see any need to glorify that.
Here’s how a pro-Confederate flag supporter could defend continuing to fly it in front of the state house:
… in case you didn’t notice, this is about the troops. There isn’t a word here about slavery anything else. We want to honor “our forefathers (who) defended their homes in hostile terrain and hoping they would soon get to see their families again.”
It’s about honoring those who died in our service. It’s about as noncontroversial as apple pie. Less so, in fact, since some of us happen to be allergic to apple pie. And trees, too, for that matter, so scratch that.
There is no defensible reason not to want to honor these troops.
Planting trees for the fallen soldiers is a wonderful idea- I would think a living tree planted as a memorial to a soldier would be very therapeutic to their family and hopefully watching the tree grow could provide solace on some level.
I am one of the lucky and many Americans who has not had to make a single sacrifice as a result of this war. I think it is about time we have a reminder of the death that is happening a half a world away.
bud, you’ve got it bad, man. If you think our efforts to make Iraqis free compares to the effort to keep black people slaves, you are beyond reason on the issue.
And I don’t think you are, because we’ve had reasonable exchanges in the past. Stop and think about this for a minute, please.
I’m not trying to help out the anti-war cause, but you really hurt it when you slide back into the anti-military, “baby-killer” mode of not honoring war dead.
I honor the Confederate dead, such as my great-great grandfathers. I happen to think that the best way to honor them is to keep this generation from repeating their mistake.
Hell, I honor poor drafted Wehrmacht soldaten who had no choice but to defend the Fatherland from our troops when we crossed the Rhine. I might despise the SS, but a man who gives his life for his country, nothing more, is to be respected.
Maybe after the war a fitting tribute to the soldiers might be appropriate, but now is not the time. It bestows a sense of legitimacy for the war itself. That’s what bothers me about this idea.
Bud’s right – memorials are typically reserved for after the war. If this one goes on as long as Brad hopes it does, we’ll need to find several acres of land.
The phrase “Can’t see the forest for the trees” seems quite appropriate in this case.
“How about a memorial to the hundreds of people who died on our highways last year, or aids victims?” Great idea, Bud, how can I help?
My attempt to honor those who have given their lives while fighting for their country is not meant to be a burden on anyone. I will fund the entire thing myself if I have to, but I just thought that maybe others would like to share my appreciation for these men and women. As for when it is appropriate to honor them, you certainly know more about that than I do, Hank, but it seems to me that there is no time like the present. And I definitely have not thought through all of the logistics, timing, etc. That was one of the reasons I wrote Brad, just to get some input. So just let me know when you are ready to help out with this memorial, and I’d be glad to include you. In the meantime, I will continue on with what I believe to be the right thing to do. Thanks for your time.
Planting a tree to remember those who died defending our country and trying to bring freedom to the people of Iraq is a great idea. It provides a memorial to their service to our country, and adds to the beauty of our city.