ManicDDaily

I post the picture above because it is a picture made by my mother, whose ashes are now buried, with my father’s, in Arlington National Cemetery.

It feels late to make this post; days have gone by since Trump’s crass and illegal campaign stunt in Arlington.

But it is hard to get Trump’s stunt out of my mind. Perhaps because both of my parents are at Arlington.

And when I think of Arlington, I cannot help but think of the immense pride they took during their lifetimes in the fact that my father’s long military service (active duty in two wars) qualified them for burial there.

And when I think of Arlington, I also cannot help but think of how beautiful my parents’ actual funeral services were; how kind and caring the Arlington Staff is, how unfailingly they honor the veterans buried there, and their families.

Maybe the quality of the place is hard to grasp if you do not have family there. I grew up in DC and visited Arlington several times as a child, and yes, I felt moved by the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and, especially, by JFK’s eternal flame. And I remember, even as a child, of how serious Arlington felt, how sobering, how impressive.

But the day my father’s ashes were buried there, with caisson and honor guard, I developed a very different understanding of Arlington. Suddenly, all those headstones were people. And the love and devotion, sacrifice and loss, of those people became very real. And the dignity and beauty and quiet of the place with so very many of those headstones in its expanses of that deep green grass, filled me (and fills me always) with grief, and awe, and gravity.

So, I forgive those who are not as outraged by Trump’s conduct as I am. Perhaps they just don’t know what Arlington is like; perhaps it is hard for them to realize how terrible that thumbs-up photo feels.

But anyone who wants to be commander-in-chief should know. They should understand what Arlington means. They should not let their campaign use phrases like “hollowed [sic] grounds.” Any person who acts in that way should not be in control over the fates of soldiers, and their families.

Please don’t give him that control.

This entry was posted on September 8, 2024 at 5:50 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments. You can comment below, or link to this permanent URL from your own site.