It may have begun somewhere in the late 1960s or early 1970s.  We were winding down a seemingly endless war in Viet Nam.  Women fought for equal rights.  Segregation was still an issue.  We had a national scandal which caused a president of the United States to resign.  The comedians of the day were Phyllis Diller and Don Rickles who spent their monologues ragging on everyone.  Movies now had “R” ratings.  The sexual revolution was well underway.  It seemed that the days of “Father Knows Best” were over and replaced with dysfunctional families with dads like Archie Bunker.

Folks became numbed with illicit drugs.  The three martini lunch was the menu of the day to cinch a deal.  Space exploration was still in the news, but now people were becoming more concerned about the state of our own planet and focusing on ways they could control things like climate change.

Somehow the basics of religion were tossed aside in favor of self-reliance.  The Ten Commandments became outdated.  The Bible was just a book of myths and stories. In fifty years, this would lead to a nation who no longer felt the need to go to church – a population that didn’t trust government officials – a land where family was a thing of the past – a country that no longer put their trust in God.

A nation united by years of struggle and war was showing signs of decline and a slow but sure death.

As we approach Memorial Day, we need to get a handle on what this country was founded on – Judeo/Christian principals, strong work ethic, the sanctity of marriage and family, the opportunity for anyone to succeed.  We have truly been blessed to live here, but we cannot forget our history.  It’s the story of who we are and how we came to this place in time.  Good or bad, we learn from the past.

Blood was shed, lives lost and families made the ultimate sacrifice to defend the values that were set down by our forefathers.  Memorial means remembering.  Let’s never forget the price paid for our freedom.