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csberryThere seems to be a lot of hubbub about Obama not attending the Memorial Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. Arlington is ONE of 146 national cemeteries for deceased veterans. The fact that Obama will be attending a ceremony at the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery actually seems like a better idea to me than his attending the ceremony at Arlington.
When veterans returned from various wars this past century, not all of them were welcomed home with open arms and praised. Many came home and just did the best they could to get back to "normal." Then, when they died, they weren't all buried in the prestigious Arlington National Cemetery. Hundreds of thousands of deceased veterans lie buried in the cemeteries that are spread across our great country. Why are they less worthy of a visit by the president on Memorial Day? Millions of people (from families to curious tourists to international dignitaries) visit the gravestones at Arlington each year, but who visits the other cemeteries to give respect to those without the connections or luck to go to Arlington?
A lot of people like to label Obama an "elitist." But isn't only visiting Arlington and not going to other national cemeteries elitist? Why is it wrong for the president to take this opportunity to visit a different national cemetery to thank the veterans for what they did in service of our country and to help spotlight that you don't have to go to Washington D.C. to see acres upon acres of veterans' headstones?
When veterans returned from various wars this past century, not all of them were welcomed home with open arms and praised. Many came home and just did the best they could to get back to "normal." Then, when they died, they weren't all buried in the prestigious Arlington National Cemetery. Hundreds of thousands of deceased veterans lie buried in the cemeteries that are spread across our great country. Why are they less worthy of a visit by the president on Memorial Day? Millions of people (from families to curious tourists to international dignitaries) visit the gravestones at Arlington each year, but who visits the other cemeteries to give respect to those without the connections or luck to go to Arlington?
A lot of people like to label Obama an "elitist." But isn't only visiting Arlington and not going to other national cemeteries elitist? Why is it wrong for the president to take this opportunity to visit a different national cemetery to thank the veterans for what they did in service of our country and to help spotlight that you don't have to go to Washington D.C. to see acres upon acres of veterans' headstones?
