I grew up hearing my grandfather call today “Decoration Day”.  And, it was today.  The 30th of May.  Not the “If it’s Monday, we need a holiday” version we seem to employ nowadays.

What you may not realize is that this holiday was created to honor the Union military (they were almost all army, then) dead from the Civil War.  The Confederates celebrated on a different day (of course).  It was after my grandfather fought in “The Great War”, long after the Rough Riders, that “Memorial Day” began to take sway- and, it wasn’t until 1967 when the name change became law.

The actual day of honor- 30 May- was chosen because it would not impinge upon the memory of any battle (up to that time).  And, the decorations?  That came about because many of the war dead being honored were German immigrants- and it was the practice of the Germans to decorate the graves of their dead.  Hence, the first celebration of Decoration Day on 30 May 1868.

Almost always, our troops are called up to defend what we typically called “The American Way”.   That was meant to connote democracy, freedom, and equality.  Great tones.  But, too often breached in practice here in the States.

Even now, we’ve had events in Baltimore, St. Louis, Chicago, and San Francisco bring these differences to light.  We have a presidential candidate who spews hate and vitriol against the “other” almost hourly.  (I think that is how often he tweets.  To be honest, I don’t- and won’t- follow him.)

But, it’s not just Blacks, Hispanics, Muslims, Jews- it’s almost anyone that folks like to blame for their problems.  It’s so much easier to hang the responsibility on the other.

We have new ways in America to blame the other.  The South declares, without an ounce of proof that such events occur, that they are stopping voter fraud.  By closing down precincts, restricting times to vote, requiring the poor and disadvantaged to travel miles (often at the expense of a paying job) to acquire state-approved photo ids.

And, let me tell you something else.  There are many of us- ME, especially, that could never obtain one of the sought voter ID cards.  Because my birth certificate is different from almost every other one ever issued in the US.  It’s a piece of yellow paper, from  New York City, that “certifies” that I was born on or about 9 September.  Yup.  No parental ID.  No hospital ID.

Trust me.  It was a bitch to obtain my first passport.  And, I’ve made sure it’s always been up to date.  (OK.  Sometimes, it was to provide an escape valve if a certain moron were to become president.  Yes, mine is ready to go, right now.)  But, consider folks from the rural South, or others who had home births, who didn’t name their children right away.  They get the same sort of certifications.  Which under the laws that are ravaging the South means no voting.

We are supposed to be an example for the world.  (Don’t get me started as to what that really is teaching the world now.).  But, the only antidote to these prejudices is education.

It’s way past time we start.  Memorial Day is a good day to do so- because so many of our wars have been related to religion and its prejudices.  And, we want to honor our valiant fighters appropriately.

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