Memorial Day is soon approaching. When we were kids, this meant the end of the school year and the beginning of summer. It meant longer days, reading lists, BBQs, watermelon, beach days, and vacations. It was about listening for the Good Humor truck and, some years later, getting a cool summer job.
Memorial Day originated in the years following the Civil War in the 1800’s and was originally called Decoration Day. It officially became a federal holiday in 1971. It is a day for honoring and mourning military personnel who were lost while serving our country. This includes men and women on the field, at sea, in the air, and those who served in MASH units. Soldiers, medics, nurses, and doctors have been lost in wars while doing what they were sworn to do. All gave their lives to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.”
This Memorial Day, we see the Republicans blocking a commission to investigate the Insurrection. This is mind boggling and strangely goes against everything that our country stands for. Most watched in horror on January 6th as domestic terrorists invaded our Capitol which the Republicans now see only as tourists strolling through the hallways. This would be laughable if it did not result in our Democratic Republic hanging in the balance. 99.9% of those who watched did so in shock and disbelief as police and others feared for their lives. We witnessed this, we know the truth, and we will not forget.
As we celebrate this Memorial Day, we will remember those who have truly stood for our Democracy. We will also remember the Republicans who served the country well before the “fall” of the Republican Party. And, we will remember those who stood for honor like John McCain and Margaret Chase Smith.
Margaret Chase Smith was a Mainer of English ancestry. She followed in her husband’s footsteps after his death in 1940 and rose to esteemed positions in the House and Senate. Smith was a candidate for the Republican Party nomination in the 1964 Presidential election and was the first woman to be placed in nomination for the Presidency at a major party’s convention. She was a woman of courage and integrity. On June 1, 1950, she delivered the most memorable speech of her career. The Declaration of Conscience, as it was called, attacked the McCarthyism witch hunt and the direction of the Republican Party at that time. Her act of political courage led to further investigation into McCarthy’s reign of power and, eventually in 1954, the Senate censured McCarthy for conduct contrary to Senatorial traditions. Smith had put her career on the line to defend her cause and the result was that McCarthy’s career was over and hers was just beginning.
Smith stated, “I do not want to see the Republican Party ride to political victory on the Four Horsemen of Calumny–Fear, Ignorance, Bigotry, and Smear.” As history does seem to repeat itself, we ask where is the Margaret Chase Smith of today? Who in the Republican Party has the courage and conviction to stand up to the ignorance, bigotry, and smear tactics of the current day party? Who, of those sworn to uphold and defend our Constitution, will stand up for this country and the democratic way and put the brakes on the current day McCarthy and the Republican Senate?! We are surely in need of someone with courage and another Declaration of Conscience!
In the words of Ben Franklin, when asked what kind of government was given to us, he replied, “A democracy, if you can keep it. Our republic is founded on the principle that it will continue only as long as the people keep democracy alive.”
Let’s keep it alive this Memorial Day!
