Tawdry

Due to a recent incapacity to move around very much, some of us missed the entire Tall Ships event and Memorial Day on Monday.  We don't recommend missing days like this for any reason and if not for grand kids and kids coming plus some remembrances of fathers and friends lost either in service or a veteran thereof, it would have been a somewhat bleak day under a gorgeous sky.

Chris Hayes, the commentator, stated on Sunday morning in effect that it is a shame that heroes or the title of hero rests only with those who fight and die or make "the ultimate sacrifice".  He has been pounded on as a result for suggesting that there are other "hero types" and for suggesting that we reserve this honor and honoring for those who serve and die.  Let's think about that for a minute.

Since the inception of Memorial Day it has been reserved primarily for those who fight and die and has been expanded of late to those who make a sacrifice for the public good; e.g. firefighters, police, etc., so Mr. Hayes may be a little historically far afield but indeed if you look at the idea broadly, there are any number of folks over time - out of uniform or organization - who make an ultimate sacrifice for the country and they deserve some level of recognition; some category that is beyond my pay grade and rank to figure out. But it is a thought worth thinking.

You might ask at this point, what is the point of this writing?  It seems there was something of a kerfuffle at our Memorial Day/Tall Ship Day and it dealt with Veterans. If you look at the map, there is a circle drawn around the "Veteran's Hospitality Tent" that was moved to center stage on Front Street after some "discussion".  First of all, being Memorial Day and the weekend thereof, one could argue that veterans trump Tall Ships by a long shot and should have been given top billing, front and center, from the start.  However, their hospitality tent location was planned so that they could have a great view of the ships and the harbor..the primo location as it were.. and in effect the very least anyone could do for those who served and those who sacrificed.  It was all a reasonable compromise of interests and pretty much win-win.

There was a kerfuffle of sorts as it appears some really tawdry and petty interests got in a lather about this - and for every bad reason on earth.  In a microcosm of Chris Hayes turmoil, demands were made to move the Veterans Hospitality Tent to a new location away from commercial interests.  Commercial interests over Veterans comfort.  On Memorial Day weekend. Commercial v. Veterans. Memorial Day Weekend. A "f..ing" hospitality tent for the comfort of Veterans on their day - pardon the French.  Something nice for a group who served so we could even have a Memorial Day.  Shameful comes to mind.

The Village put the best face on it and moved the tent, or so it appears, to center stage where, frankly, it should have been from day one and every last one of us should have supplied that tent with something without a commercial motive and if it wasn't consumed then and there,  it should have been donated further down the line as our treatment of Veterans - particularly recent ones - is shameful, as shameful as some commercial interests trying to extract a buck from them rather than saying thanks.

There. We don't feel better for saying this.  Fact is, we feel a little dirty and need to wash our hands.