The past couple of days, I’ve been seeing all kinds of post about how this is not National BBQ Day, National Car Shopping Day, National Start of Summer Day, and stuff like that. Typically, the post shows a soldier presenting to folded flag to a young boy, a Marine pausing by a monument of those who have died defending our country, or some other touching and important image.

This is an important message, but I think it is poorly executed. Too many wars have been fought because of black and white, either/or thinking. We are a great people. We can do better than this either/or thinking. We can pause at a grave of a soldier, watch or march in a Memorial Day parade, have a hot dog or hamburger with the volunteer fire department after the parade, perhaps even get a swim in at the beach, and have a BBQ with our extended family.

We need to honor those who have died defending our country. We should show this by stopping to remember their sacrifice as well as enjoying the freedom they died to defend. We also need to honor those suffering years after their deployments. For example, the Vietnam Vet in the hospital who has struggled with PTSD and alcoholism, whose liver has stopped functioning and for the loved ones that sit with him.

Happy Memorial Day, pass the ketchup.