Ever since President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed Armistice Day for Nov. 11, 1919, "as a day of solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country's service," our country has set aside a day to show express gratitude for their sacrifices. In 1954, Congress amended this act, replacing "Armistice" with "Veterans," and it has been known as Veterans Day since.
But, ever since Sept. 11 there's been a growing religious veneration of members of the military. They are labeled as "heroes." On a recent trip, an airline flight attendant suggested that we all applaud "our heroes," meaning the service personnel on board. I did not. Should one be declared a "hero" for wearing a uniform no matter how distant from harm's way?
It's not uncommon to notice at airports a parent asking a uniformed soldier to pose for a photo with their child. Veterans are now offered discounts for merchandise; streets and highways are named after fallen soldiers. To question trumped-up wars of empire has been considered unpatriotic and somehow undermining of support for our troops "defending our freedom." Any young person eager for recognition might be tempted to join.
Today, I believe there are dangerous signs in our society of a morphing of honoring uniformed military into the "cult" of militarism. Cult is defined as, "a system of religious veneration directed toward a particular figure or object." A second meaning is, "a misplaced or excessive admiration for a particular person or thing."
I use the following examples to illustrate my point. Why does a stealth bomber soar over a stadiums as the national anthem is sung during this year's Major League Baseball All-Star Game? Does anyone think it grandiose to watch uniformed military personnel unfurl a 150-by-200-foot flag on a sports field? Who does the American flag belong to? What do these military displays have to do with sports? Are any parents alarmed to learn that Army Special Forces units are jumping out of helicopters on school playgrounds?
Psychologists tell us that fourth- and fifth-grade children are most impressionable and can carry images learned at that age of what they might want to become into young adulthood. Gruesome video games of war are penetrating the minds of our children and setting up a mind-set that killing is normal and heroic, and that our government can undertake any violent campaign with the use of drones, because that's the way the video game is played. The media don't show pictures of war dead, and do very little to expose the true cost and horrors of war.
President Eisenhower warned us of the dangers of permanent preparations for war and the threat of the Military Industrial Complex to our country's future. Our military spending equals the amount of all other nations combined. Too few in Congress question our military spending.
The media enhance the public image of the military by glorifying stories of combat veterans. Uncritical support of all things military is becoming the new "normal" in our society.
Isn't this a misplaced or excessive admiration for a particular person or thing?
Our veterans should be thanked for serving their country, but so should many others in uniform, such as police and firefighters, Peace Corps volunteers, teachers, parents struggling to hold their families together. They are doing "heroic" deeds daily, without fanfare. Isn't our nation also served by their good efforts?
The writer is Roman Catholic priest from Cambridge who also has a ministry in Guatemala.