The Greatest Generation

A few nights ago, I started to rewatch HBO’s “Band of Brothers”.  I honestly cannot say how many times I have watched this over the years, but it has been more than a few.  I also read the book that the series was based on, and it is every bit as powerful.  As I watch it, I realize that the title “The Greatest Generation” really was quite deserving.  All those men and women are just about gone now, but it does make me wonder what they would think about the political upheaval and divisions that have occurred in our society over the past 6 years.  It also makes me sad thinking about all those young men who died so young and never got the experiences that we take for granted.  Never to love, never to get married, have children of their own.  To succeed or fail and try again.  They gave their lives fighting fascists, Nazis, totalitarian regimes- and now in this country that they sacrificed themselves for we have fascists, Nazis and people who admire totalitarian regimes.  And because of the sacrifices of those young men, we are free to be all those hateful things.  My brother and sister Americans do not let hate win.  Stand up to the hate and say “Not here, not in America, will we not let hate win”. We owe our freedom to so many that sacrificed everything so this country can be a beacon of hope.  Let’s not extinguish that beacon from within after so much has been given to keep it alight.  Stop the infighting and let’s talk about what we have in common and not about what divides us. Do it for those who gave the last full measure.