Happy Veteran's Day

On May 13, 1938 an Act of Congress established Armistice Day as a national holiday, following up on President Woodrow Wilson's November 11, 1919 proclamation of the first Armistice Day honoring American veterans who fought in WWI. Though WWI did not formally end until the Treay of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919; in the US, Armistice Day, with the armistice marking the temporary end of combat on November 11, 1918, is widely regarded as the end of the First World War. In 1954, and following the incredible carnage of WWII and the Korean War, Congress amended Armistice Day to become today's Veteran's Day.

Today's Veteran's Day is thus meant to honor the sacrifices of all American veterans of our foreign wars - supreme sacrifices made for the common good of all Americans. Something to be remembered even more so in an era of individualistic egocentrism best exemplified by massive economic inequality privileging a tiny disproportionate few at the expense of the vast majority of our fellow Americans. An era where we have all too often forgetten what it means to sacrifice for the common, collective, and greater good. This is very much in contrast to our veterans, with many of them having given their life to uphold democratic values which at their core and since their inception over two centuries ago, have offered the promise of a more equal, fair, and just union of these United States; one creating a level playing field on which each of our citizens can strive for the pursuit of happiness without worry of either their life or liberty.