MONDAY, MAY 30, MEMORIAL DAY 2022

 MONDAY, MAY 30, 2022 MEMORIAL DAY

Yes, today is Memorial Day.  When I was Scoutmaster in South Dakota, we went to one of the two cemeteries and put flags on all the graves of veterans.

Memorial Day is a successor to Decoration Day - when Americans decorated the graves of soldiers who died in the Civil War.

The Civil War was the deadliest war in American history.  Approximately 620,000 people died (mostly men) in the war, as compared to about 405,000 in World War II.

The Civil War was one of different ideologies and of different financial issues (yes, money seems to be part of war).

The North had an ideology of slavery is wrong, and that the nation (union) was higher than the state’s rights.  Financially, the North was already an industrialized region.

The South had an ideology of slavery is acceptable and that states could determine their own directions.  Financial, the South would be severely crippled by ending slavery as the economy of the South was largely agricultural and the cost of labor for plantations would be high as compared to the cost of slavery.  

The human cost of 620,000 was about 2% of the population. But, that number doesn’t really reflect the total cost to families, regions, to communities.  The number of wounded that survived included those who lost arms, and legs, and still came home wounded.  There were many of the wounded who died because military health care was limited (No Mobile Army Surgical Hospitals - MASH units - no helicopter rescues, no solid medical treatment in the field.)

Across the world, there have been other civil wars - that is wars within a particular nation.  Many South American nations have fought civil wars over ideology - communism or democracy; European nations struggled with political power being held by kings and those of the royal class.  Peasants were subject to harsh conditions while the royalty flourished.  (In particular, Russia and France seem to fit that bill).  The French Revolution removed the King and royalty in favor of democracy.  The Russian Revolution removed the King and royalty in favor of communism. 

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There have been debates since the Civil War about whether compromises could be made to avoid war.  

The Missouri Compromise said for every new free state, a slave state should be added to the Union.

The Compromise of 1850:
“Divisions over slavery in territory gained in the Mexican-American War (1846-48) were resolved in the Compromise of 1850. It consisted of laws admitting California as a free state, creating Utah and New Mexico territories with the question of slavery in each to be determined by popular sovereignty (voters decided), settling a Texas-New Mexico boundary dispute in the former’s favor, ending the slave trade in Washington, D.C., and making it easier for southerners to recover fugitive slaves”

Even the Constitution of 1787 dodged slavery (John Adams and Thomas Jefferson found a way to get the Constitution approved without dealing with the “elephant in the room”).

In terms of the Civil War, could some states be slave-free and other states have slaves?  That policy had existed for many years - and the tensions between North and South grew.  In America’s case, slavery had to be ended for the whole nation (my bias - and the bias of most people).  

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The “Second Civil War” (largely from: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/may/11/second-american-civil-war-robert-reich - Robert Reich was former Secretary of Labor under Bill Clinton).

“The second American civil war is already occurring, but it is less of a war than a kind of benign separation analogous to unhappily married people who don’t want to go through the trauma of a formal divorce.

“One America is largely urban, racially and ethnically diverse, and young. The other is largely rural or exurban, white and older.

“Surveys show Americans find it increasingly important to live around people who share their political values. Animosity toward those in the opposing party is higher than at any time in living memory. Forty-two percent of registered voters believe Americans in the other party are “downright evil”.

(Comment - I worked the Texas Primary Runoff election on May 24th.  If no candidate got 50% in the primary, the top two candidates were in the runoff election.  I saw a member of one party giving an obscene gesture to the election officials of the other party.  I heard three people say very negative things about the other party.  While I don’t know if it is 42% that believe the Americans in the other party are ‘downright evil’, it seems like it.  Having watched a particular television channel while assisting a senior person at my part-time job, the main commentator from 7:00 to 8:00 CDT labels the opposition party as ‘evil’, “socialist’, and even ‘communists’.  The leaders of that opposition party are smeared regularly.  

Two weeks ago, in the Common Lectionary (a Bible reading for many denominations from Catholic, to Lutheran, to Presbyterian, Methodists, and others) the scripture said “Love One Another”, and “Love your enemies”.  But it seems that even those that profess Christian viewpoints are hating their fellow Christians!!)

“Almost 40% would be upset at the prospect of their child marrying someone from the opposite party.

Reich notes: “Red states are making it nearly impossible to get abortions but easier than ever to buy guns.”  

A friend commented that it was easier in Texas to get a gun than it is to get permission to add a deck to his house!!!

So, this “Second Civil War” as Robert Reich wrote is “pro-life’ versus “pro-choice”, “gun laws relaxed” versus “strict gun laws”, and those “opposed to LGBTQ” and “accepting of “LGBTQ”.  And, religiously, the one side tends to be more evangelical “Bible Thumping” Christians and the other side is more accepting of multiple faiths and beliefs.

This Civil War will not split the country as the First Civil War attempted, but it will make the Blue States and the Red States more separated.

The compromise is there - live in the state that matches your political philosophy.  (But, some poor citizens can’t afford to move to another state!!)

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Psalm 20:7 says, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.”

Concluding with a longer scripture - Romans 12:10-16

Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good.  Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.  Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!

Happy Memorial Day

LOVE ONE ANOTHER

LOVE WINS

Karen