I experienced two equally jarring moments these past two days. The first occurred when a fellow student announced in the most recent Sunday WSA meeting that it was Veterans Day. I — and I suspect several others around me — had forgotten. Were we to search through the newspaper, or maybe think twice about the row of monuments adjacent to Washington Street, we might have remembered. Otherwise, Wesleyan University ignored the day.
The second moment occurred in Olin Library, where I noticed an older man in a comfortable armchair reading. He was wearing several buttons on his army-colored hat. Veterans Day, I reminded myself. Go ahead and ask him. Indeed, the man had served, but he wasn’t happy. A Marine during the Vietnam War; he hadn’t known better at 17 years old. And all he could think about was this war in Iraq, a war that, in his opinion, was based on lies. He said it made him feel sick to see President Bush and Vice President Cheney honor veterans after their multiple attempts to evade service. He was, to put it bluntly, pissed off.
I had little to say in both occurrences. I was ashamed that our school had done nothing to honor the thousands who paid their lives in the name of our country. And I was equally ashamed that we as students haven’t done enough to voice our opposition to this war, a war that in the eyes of one veteran was one we never should have fought.
Whether you agree with the war policies of this country or not, it remains our country, and we remain young adults whose peers in uniforms are dying daily. That has been their choice as much as it has been ours to attend this institution. But it does not mean we shouldn’t have the courtesy to acknowledge their decision, as well as their sacrifices. Nor does it mean we should remain silent about our feelings about this war; opposing the war does not mean disrespecting the troops. On this Veterans Day, may we all take a moment to remember those who have served and recognize those who serve today.
Leave a Reply