Memorial Day is a day when the United States pauses to remember those service members who died while in service to the US to preserve and defend individual freedoms.

Since the Civil War, almost 6,000 Oregonians have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to the United States. On Memorial Day, they are honored along with more than 1.2 million service members who have given their lives nationwide.

Ceremonies have been traditionally held at the Oregon World War II Memorial in Salem until Covid restrictions halted this practice in recent years.

Kelly Fitzpatrick is the director of the Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs and Governor Kate Brown’s policy advisor on veterans’ issues. She was appointed by Governor Kate Brown in 2018. She has now released a statement in observance of Memorial Day 2022, and she included some "woke" messaging that is not surprising to many observers.

“Every service member had a story", Fitzpatrick said. "Many faced additional challenges beyond the common trials and tribulations of war."

She continued, “Some of the courageous Oregonians who served and gave their lives in service to our country and whose memories we honor today were women who would not even be recognized as veterans of the United States Armed Forces until the 1970s. Others were quietly transgender, gay, lesbian or queer, who grappled with the pain of giving their all to a country that did not want every part of them, that did not allow them to serve openly as their true, authentic selves.”

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

Fitzpatrick then explains that an additional debt of gratitude is owed to LGBT veterans.

“We as a nation, owe an additional debt of gratitude to the brave soldiers, sailors, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard members who served under these policies and conditions," Fitzpatrick added. "Their courage, selflessness, dignity and exceptional service did much to sway public opinion and pave the way for a brighter and more inclusive future.”

Some observers can't help but point out the messaging is a bit tone def to many Americans, with many suggesting that America has been one of the most progressive nations in world history in regards to individual human rights, and that gaslighting such as this coming from Oregon's Director of Veteran Affairs is meant to just stir the pot and cause division amongst people. A more unifying message would not need to suggest such terrible oppression of an extreme minority of people, when it wasn't actually the case.

On Memorial Day, we should honor the unique loss and pain of each and every one of the 6,000 Oregonians and their families, but out of touch "woke" messaging does little for honoring those who have served.


--Bruce Armstrong

Post Date: 2022-05-30 09:48:32

Last Update: 2022-05-30 11:27:30