Happy Memorial Day

[Rob]

To those of you who are Americans I hope you are having a nice day off and are getting plenty of sun and barbecue. The weather here in Connecticut is absolutely gorgeous and if I weren't still coughing up puppies and rainbows I'd be in the pool and you would all still be reading last Friday's review.

To those of you who are from other countries (and I know there are many of you) or are stuck working for whatever reason we'll be back with more webcomics info with a new article tomorrow. As soon as I emerge from my hamburger induced coma.

And to all of you, wherever you are in the world. If you could spare a moment to think good thoughts about all those people throughout history up to today who gave their lives in support of freedom; I think that might make tomorrow a better day.

Some gave all.

[Gibson]

Having recently moved to the U.S., this weekend I experienced my first Memorial Day weekend. It's funny, but in America, where so many people make a big deal about supporting the troops, they don't seem to do as much to honour their sacrifice as they do in Canada. Maybe I just missed it, but I didn't hear or see anyone memorializing fallen troops, just cookouts.

[Rob]

The closer you get to military bases the more memorial centric it tends to be. We had a parade here (actually there were several parades throughout the state but there was one locally that my sister took the kids to) and lots and lots of flags flying; and CT isn't exactly known for being a hotbed of military activity.

But yeah I suppose you have some point. I don't know if it would be better though. I mean, Memorial Day has come to symbolize the start of summer. Most people want to celebrate the nice weather and so on. If things were all depressing because none of us did anything but sit around remembering the specifics of how a bunch of great people died to ensure freedom or save the lives of others.... well that would probably be a bit of a downer.

As someone who served in an couple war zones, I certainly wouldn't want to speak for the dead, but I can say that I never felt like a hero (despite being called that on many occasions); I felt like I was doing my job. And if it had been me instead of someone else I would rather they have a great day and maybe raise a glass to me at some point then go through all the depressing details of how sad it is I'm gone and what a great sacrifice I made.

Don't get me wrong, we should never forget those who gave everything they had for our freedom but I don't feel like I need a day of mourning to accomplish that. I think a day of celebration of the way of life and freedom that they ensured is just as cool.

[Gibson]

I can totally see all of that and I suspect most of the military boys I know back home (a lot) would say the same. It's not as if Remembrance Day is a gloomfest where we all rub gravel through our hair, we have a pint and whatever, so it wasn't anything like that I thought was weird, it was more that no one raised the glass, there was just no acknowledgment at all. It could have been Arbor Day.

For my money, anyone who agrees to put their life in an elevated level of peril to ensure someone else's safety, even if only in perception, gets a nod. Hero, doing your job, or just like to blow shit up, if my standard of living is raised by someone else offering up their own, I owe that person. We all do.