Veterans, Patriotism, and Steph Curry
A real post today? I'm killing the game.
So as you know (or at least should know) today is Veteran's Day, a holiday set on the anniversary of the Armistice of World War I intended to honor all people who have ever served in the Armed Forces. It is a day of remembrance, of honor, and of respect. Although Veteran's Day isn't one of the holidays everyone gets excited for and in spite of the fact you won't see Veteran's Day decorations at Walmart 3 months before the holiday actually occurs, I think today is a great opportunity to say thank you to the people who serve on behalf of our country.
To the people who selflessly sacrifice their time and their energy in the service of the country: I salute you wholeheartedly. Thank you for doing what others are not willing to do in order to protect the rights, privileges, and opportunities we all enjoy.
And to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice and laid down their lives on behalf of us: Thank you. I don't know the proper words to express how grateful I am for what you have done, and I only hope that the way I choose to live my life as a good citizen, living by the values you lived by, can somehow show how much your sacrifice means to me.
Earlier today, the electric NBA player Steph Curry posted an article on The Player's Tribune, a news media organization that allows professional athletes to share stories, thoughts, and other things with the world in a way that they can't do on the field or the court. This post, entitled "The Noise", was a fantastic read and I absolutely recommend it.
What I love about the article is that Curry doesn't come out to attack anyone, but he still provides valuable criticism about the way we talk about things sometimes. He says that sometimes, people are too caught up listening to all the, as he calls it, "noise" to focus on the real issues.
I believe that this is the most important bit of what Curry has to say:
I've been thinking a lot today about patriotism (what it means, how to show it, if it's important, etc.). In today's world, it's hard for me to be patriotic because I feel like there are a lot of things wrong in this country. Our elected leader is incompetent, we can't seem to go a month without a mass shooting (with very little legislative action following each one), and we've had literal marches of Nazis in our streets within the past six months.
It is frustrating, disheartening, and upsetting.
But then I think of all the great things about our country. I think of our national parks and our freedoms and the way that when things go bad, there is always a hand reaching down to pick you up. Our country isn't perfect — it's far from it. But I think that patriotism is realizing the fact that we aren't perfect and still loving our country anyway. Not in ignorance or denial of our flaws, but in the hopes that we can improve and that each individual can make strides to take us to a higher plain.
I think patriotism is rooted in the belief that each person has a role to play in our country, and that playing your role is vital to the health of everyone else collectively.
So this Veteran's Day, I've been thinking a lot about how I can be a better citizen and hopefully improve things for others in the way that I live. Like the United States, I still have a long way to go. But with the help of the patriots standing with me, I know we can get there.
I'll see you tomorrow.
So as you know (or at least should know) today is Veteran's Day, a holiday set on the anniversary of the Armistice of World War I intended to honor all people who have ever served in the Armed Forces. It is a day of remembrance, of honor, and of respect. Although Veteran's Day isn't one of the holidays everyone gets excited for and in spite of the fact you won't see Veteran's Day decorations at Walmart 3 months before the holiday actually occurs, I think today is a great opportunity to say thank you to the people who serve on behalf of our country.
To the people who selflessly sacrifice their time and their energy in the service of the country: I salute you wholeheartedly. Thank you for doing what others are not willing to do in order to protect the rights, privileges, and opportunities we all enjoy.
And to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice and laid down their lives on behalf of us: Thank you. I don't know the proper words to express how grateful I am for what you have done, and I only hope that the way I choose to live my life as a good citizen, living by the values you lived by, can somehow show how much your sacrifice means to me.
Earlier today, the electric NBA player Steph Curry posted an article on The Player's Tribune, a news media organization that allows professional athletes to share stories, thoughts, and other things with the world in a way that they can't do on the field or the court. This post, entitled "The Noise", was a fantastic read and I absolutely recommend it.
What I love about the article is that Curry doesn't come out to attack anyone, but he still provides valuable criticism about the way we talk about things sometimes. He says that sometimes, people are too caught up listening to all the, as he calls it, "noise" to focus on the real issues.
I believe that this is the most important bit of what Curry has to say:
So that’s why I’m writing this — that’s my plea to y’all for this Veterans Day: Let’s please not get lost in another one of these endless debates about who means what when they’re doing what, or who is disrespecting whom.
Instead, let’s respect — let’s celebrate — our veterans, by having a conversation about the actual ways that we as civilians, as their fellow Americans they’ve fought to protect, can hold up our end of the bargain.Ultimately, I hope that today we can all come together in gratitude for the patriots that put themselves out there for us, and maybe we can all become better through it.
I've been thinking a lot today about patriotism (what it means, how to show it, if it's important, etc.). In today's world, it's hard for me to be patriotic because I feel like there are a lot of things wrong in this country. Our elected leader is incompetent, we can't seem to go a month without a mass shooting (with very little legislative action following each one), and we've had literal marches of Nazis in our streets within the past six months.
It is frustrating, disheartening, and upsetting.
But then I think of all the great things about our country. I think of our national parks and our freedoms and the way that when things go bad, there is always a hand reaching down to pick you up. Our country isn't perfect — it's far from it. But I think that patriotism is realizing the fact that we aren't perfect and still loving our country anyway. Not in ignorance or denial of our flaws, but in the hopes that we can improve and that each individual can make strides to take us to a higher plain.
I think patriotism is rooted in the belief that each person has a role to play in our country, and that playing your role is vital to the health of everyone else collectively.
So this Veteran's Day, I've been thinking a lot about how I can be a better citizen and hopefully improve things for others in the way that I live. Like the United States, I still have a long way to go. But with the help of the patriots standing with me, I know we can get there.
I'll see you tomorrow.
