We Are All Wounded When Trump Dishonors the Military
His words and actions create national pain
The members of our armed services, living and dead, deserve honor
That might be the one thing upon which Americans on both sides of our vast and aching divide still agree. Whether we are veterans or members of military families or not, or even if we are tree-hugging pacifists, we share the understanding that we owe a debt of gratitude to the people who give up years of their lives to put themselves in harm’s way on our behalf, and who often lose those lives, or their limbs, or the peace of their psyches in so doing.
Most of us are hushed with reverence when driving past a military cemetery, or attending a military funeral, or visiting a national shrine such as Arlington National Cemetery or the American Cemetery in Normandy. These experiences invite us to transcend our differences with those on opposite sides of any political or ideological fence as we give witness to valor and sacrifice.
Every American has a stake in the relationship with our armed forces, and a duty to uphold with regard to our service members. That relationship and that duty must be characterized by respect, support, pride, and dignity. As individual citizens, we may take issue with whatever armed…
