Memorial Day

In this country, Memorial Day signifies the first (unofficial) day of summer - a day of sleeping late, backyard barbeques, softball in the park, and wearing all of those white outfits that have been cooped up in your closet all winter long. However, the day also has a more somber meaning, as we remember the thousands of soldiers that have died in past and present conflicts for this country.

But as we partake in this all-American of days, be it at a ball game or at Arlington, let us not forget the thousands of innocent victims that have suffered and died as a result of American actions abroad. Hundreds of thousands died as a result of LBJ's Rolling Thunder campaign and Nixinger's firebombing of Cambodia. And while official statistics have yet to be collected, it is generally believed that the civilian death toll in Iraq around 15,000. Numbers as high as these are difficult to comprehend, and since we have kept our losses relatively low, Americans are relieved of the burden of coming to terms with them. And by ignoring these numbers we are kept blind of the true consequences of our aggressive foreign policy. While we should salute those American soldiers that have made the ultimate sacrifice, we must also make a point of remembering the devastating effects of their actions on the innocent.