Our military deserves thanks on July 4 — but politicians, press and civilians? Not so much
By Lori Esposito Murray, Ph.D, opinion contributor — 07/04/19 10:30 AM EDT
Honoring the commitment, sacrifice and courage of our all-volunteer military, especially on the Fourth of July, should never be considered controversial or divisive. The U.S. military pledges its loyalty to the U.S. Constitution based on the Declaration of Independence’s “self-evident truths†that all men are created equal and endowed with the unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
The military’s participation in this year’s celebrations is an important reminder to all Americans that our freedoms are being protected by less than 1 percent of our population.
But we fail our volunteer military, and our fallen heroes, if we think parades, laudatory presidential speeches and just saying “Thank you for preserving our freedoms†is enough. Our leaders and the 99.5 percent of Americans who do not serve in uniform owe it to those who do to fulfill our democratic responsibilities – our part of the democratic social contract — to uphold and continue to strengthen our democracy, its
https://thehill.com/opinion/national-security/451675-our-military-deserves-thanks-on-july-4-but-politicians-press-and
