Davis confuses Memorial, Veterans Day, but will exploit it nonetheless

Update: Kudos to Rep. Jeff Wood. As a reader pointed out, here's a fine example of someone who understands how to treat Memorial Day with the respect and reverence it deserves. I assure you Brett, this approach will win you far more support than your shameless plugging.


Brett Davis (or rather, one of his erudite staffers) put together a lovely column to honor our nation's fallen for Memorial Day. You can read it here. Please come back when you're done.

Okay, finished? Good.

There are two things I find interesting about this column. The first is that the writer has absolutely no idea what the difference is between Memorial Day and Veterans Day. There's nobody to really thank on Memorial Day, because it's the holiday where we honor those who have died in service to our country.

Here's a hint, Brett. That's why it's called Memorial Day. We memorialize people. Here, I'll give you something you can cut out and paste to your staffer's desk:

Memorial Day = dead veterans
Veterans Day = all veterans

But beyond that error, it's heartwarming to see you taking a holiday that honors those who have given their lives for our country and using it to sell some veterans agenda that you had virtually no hand in creating. Really, Brett. Could you leave that at home, just for a day? I know you're the new Rick Skindrud, and you have to live every day knowing that it's not a matter of if you get knocked off, but when.

Still, show some respect. What's wrong with writing a nice column covering the history of Memorial Day, or talking about a few of the people in your district who've given their lives for our country? The Monroe Times gives you a couple hundred words and you turn it into some sales pitch for a used car sandwiched between a couple of paragraphs that only prove you don't really understand the distinction between our two biggest veterans-related holidays.

Pathetic.