Despite stupid people like Hillary Clinton, Republicans Against MAGA and their ilk making it all about themselves, Memorial Day in our nation was a day of commemoration of our fallen warriors across the fruited plain. 

On Monday, at Arlington National Cemetery, President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth honored the fallen, and Secretary Hegseth gave this powerful and moving speech.

WATCH:

And our First Lady also expressed it so succinctly.

But a recent survey revealed a muddied, confused, and befuddling response to a day that should hold significant weight for all of us. 

While traditional celebrations like cookouts remain popular, there’s a growing sentiment that the day has strayed from its original purpose of honoring fallen military members.

Ya think? When did "cookouts" become traditional celebrations, exactly? If the first thing you think about when Memorial Day weekend is mentioned is an extra day off or food prep, you have strayed far from the point. This survey reflects exactly that.

Perceptions of Memorial Day’s Meaning

The backstory:

According to a recent survey by Savanta, a global data, market research, and advisory company, 52% of Americans believe Memorial Day has lost its original meaning. 

Despite this, 60% still associate the holiday with honoring those who have died in military service, and 40% express excitement about commemorating its true purpose this year. 

Additionally, 62% feel that Memorial Day continues to unite people across different backgrounds and beliefs.

So, what's wrong with that other 38 percent? The fact that they are able to feel one way or another and have the freedom to express it is because a soldier fought and died for that right. Yet another example of people who miss the point.

What they're saying:

Mahima Yadav, a research analyst at Savanta, noted, "Like many traditions, Memorial Day is evolving. But even as interpretations shift, most Americans still want to feel that it stands for something real. It’s not just about how we spend the weekend. It’s about how we honor what connects us."

It took the writer way too long to get to that. What connects us is the fact that we only continue to exist as a Constitutional Republic because of rough and ready men and women who sacrificed their lives for us. They came from all races, religions, ethnicities, and creeds, but they chose to serve, to die, and they did it to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States and the collective of people who live under it. Providentially, the acronym for this is US. 

My colleague Ward Clark said it well:

For too many Americans, this is just a three-day weekend. Instead of going back to work this morning, too many among us are sleeping late, enjoying a morning lingering over coffee, and maybe later grilling some burgers, having a few beers, and watching a sportsball game. That's fine; we are free to observe this day as we choose.

This is not something that is supposed to "evolve." Memorial Day is not, and should never be about evolving interpretations or even trying to make it look like every other holiday. I personally believe the best way to observe it is quiet and somber reflection. That could be attending a parade or ceremony, it could be watching the multitude of television and theatrical dramas that tell stories of those who sacrificed. This year, I watched the film "Midway" and reflected on the intelligence, resolve, and commitment to unity required to pull off this pivotal battle, and the ones who sacrificed their lives to see it accomplished. It doesn't matter if you do the 'Que and throw back some cold ones after, but the day should be led with the meaning and purpose that was its original intent. As Secretary Hegseth so beautifully said: Gratitude and Remembrance.

There is a progression, and it is deliberate. On Memorial Day, we honor the fallen, those who died for our freedoms. On Flag Day, we commemorate the banner that represents the Constitutional principles of the one nation by which we stand, and on Independence Day we celebrate the declaration and codification of those freedoms with the signing of the Declaration of Independence. 

The survey is a sad commentary that America, even the ones who honor Memorial Day, have lost the thread. Part of this loss of memory and malaise is that leftists have flooded the zone with all these new, and many insignificant days and months that are merely chances to virtue signal rather than moments to be still, consider, and honor.

In 2021, I talked about the origins, weight, and significance of Memorial Day and how much has been forgotten.

Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day. It was first commemorated on May 1, 1865, when freed slaves gathered in Charleston, South Carolina to honor the deaths of Union soldiers and the end of the Civil War. In 1868, General John Logan issued a special order that May 30 of each year be observed as Decoration Day. After World War I, Memorial Day, commemorated on the last Monday in May, became a way to honor all service men and women of the United States Armed Forces who died in the service of their country.

It is an honorable thing to defend and die for someone or something that you love. Somehow, in our push to “save one life” (unless they’re unborn—talk about disconnect), we have diminished the power of that sacrifice.

We discover that Memorial Day is a part of Black culture that has become a powerful symbol of American culture. My ancestors took the opportunity to establish this truth: despite what had transpired before, we are all part of the fabric of this nation, and we will honor those who sacrificed on our behalf to make it so. Everyone should know this, and no one should get a pass to disregard it. So, for those seeking to evolve this holiday, they need to stop and cease seeking new meaning in a day that is already fecund with meaning, rich in purpose, and that requires our attention and our allegiance.