Today is Memorial Day in the United States, and I am appalled by the number of people on social media who are wishing people a “happy” Memorial Day. Most seem to conflate it with Veteran’s Day, thanking members of the armed forces for their service. This misuse of language can be offensive to some, and, as an English teacher, the dumbing down of usage in general is concerning to me.
Memorial Day is not a “happy” holiday. While we might put up bunting and other patriotic decorations, we also fly the flag at half staff from dawn until noon to honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.
What this points to, in my estimation, is a laziness of thinking. People conflate all patriotic holidays to an opportunity to thank service members (which we should do every day, btw), even though this particular holiday is a time to mourn and honor those who have been lost. Living service members do not want their fallen brethren to be given short shrift on this day. I would like my readers to remember that language usage is important.
Language is a powerful tool. It can do great harm if wielded poorly or inappropriately. It can also do a wealth of good when people take care with their words. Words have power. Let us use our words to lift others up, to enlighten them, to gently correct if needed. Let us not use our words to demean, defame, or offend, if it can be helped.
This Memorial Day, let us honor those who have died to defend our freedoms by using our freedom of speech to remember their sacrifice appropriately. I pray peace and comfort for all gold star families and the brothers and sisters in arms who have endured the loss of a comrade.
We will not forget.
Master of None 