Veterans’ Day is the least deserved holiday I take. For many years I was employed in occupations that didn’t observe the holiday, at least in terms of having the day off. But it has been as regular as clockwork since being employed by the county, and each year it leaves me feeling a little squeamish.
It really seems that Veterans’ Day ought to be just that, a day for veterans. Show your honorable discharge to the boss and enjoy a day off with pay. Veterans are those who have served their country through military service and the honor should be reserved for them.
My six years in paramilitaristic service to the community through law enforcement did nothing if not reinforce my recognition of the struggles and sacrifices made by veterans who had served, a discipline from which I benefitted just by being exposed to it.
The change in worldview, however, upon which threshold we now stand, needs to recognize those who have served their country by means other than the military. My dear friend, Paul, served as a conscientious objector in the oncology unit of Children’s Hospital in Denver, and his contributions to the larger good deserve recognition, too.
I pray that our species is evolving toward the Star Trek paradigm as opposed to the Star Wars. Surely the next great human discovery beyond fire will be love. It will truly signal God’s reign on Earth when Peacemakers’ Day warrants observance as an official holiday.
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