Today is Veteran’s Day – a day that we as American citizens set aside time to remember those who have fought and died for our liberties and freedoms. So, it’s not altogether unexpected to find articles on why we should appreciate the men and women of uniform. Having come from a family of two military parents, I understand the importance of such honor.
However, I came across an article today from the Salon website that made me think more accurately about Veteran’s Day, those who fight for our “freedoms,” and where our freedoms actually derive from.
When we speak of the military protecting our freedoms there’s the assumption that our freedoms are due solely to military action. This is wholly inaccurate. In America’s history there has only been 3 wars ever waged on American soil in which a foreign country attempted any form of attack in the hopes of claiming land: The Revolutionary war (1775-1783), the War of 1812 (1812-1815), and WWII (1941-1945). There were several other conflicts with the First Nations of the Americas but continual wars with the native population doesn’t lean itself, in this modern time, as something to be patriotic about.
But it should be noted that “protection” is not the same as “freedom.” We are free not because of our military. We are safe because of our military. The military is ultimately an arm of the citizenry. It is the citizenry, through the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, that establishes the military and it is through the citizenry that this entity is populated. The military and the citizenry both abide by the laws of the Constitution. But it is the Constitution and the laws therein, not the military, that keep us free.
And although having a military is good in keeping us safe, it is in the past 100 years that our military has actually done more “freedom” work outside of the US. If any other people should be recognizing Veteran’s Day, it should be those outside of our borders.
So, this Veteran’s Day and those following, thank those who serve not because they keep us free (which they do not), but because they keep us safe. Let us, as the people of this nation, not forget that the ultimate power of our governance and our freedom lie within our hands and ours alone.