Just One Day Isn't Enough

       Friday was Veteran's day. You probably already knew that, but just in case you didn't, CBS and FOX reminded you over and over and over again with honorary commercials, PSAs, advertisements, and simple thank-yous throughout this NFL Sunday. 

       Watching these gushy commercials where the serviceman hugs his wife upon arrival or hearing that Applebees is giving a discount to veterans for the weekend, I couldn't help but think cynically. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for raising money for foundations like the Wounded Warrior Project and United Service Organization. With my own brother in the military, some of these commercials really hit home. 

     

       But my issue is with the fact that these soldiers are fighting every day and we only take this one day, Veteran's Day (okay, maybe the whole weekend), to acknowledge our appreciation for them and those who served in the past. In an earlier post of mine I wrote about the draft and linked this article. Here's another excerpt from it:  

"Americans are big on bumper stickers, and they like to go to sports events and demonstrate their patriotism by chanting, “U-S-A! U-S-A!” But 
actually putting on a uniform and going into harm’s way? No thanks."

The NFL recognizes Veteran's Day and honors
the military with this campaign. 

       It all comes back to this disconnect with the military. Americans are patriotic at our NFL games, opinionated on the back of our Chevys, yet most of us wouldn't dare enlist, and even worse, most of us don't even think about the military and our servicemen as they finish fighting one war and continue to fight another. 

       We use Veteran's Day to make up for this. The commercials, the discounts, the products, it’s all making up for what we haven’t done the other 364 days of the year. We are supposed to be showing support for those who have fought and those who are still fighting, but really are we just making ourselves feel better? Are we just showing ourselves that we do, in fact, care?