Congress established the original Veterans' Day to celebrate the end of World War I. That war saw the deaths of tens of millions and the continent of Europe ravaged. The world craved peace and sought new measures, as idealistic as they may have been, to make peace permanent.
In creating the holiday, Congress resolved that November 11th would be "a day dedicated to the cause of world peace." In fact, Congress saw the universal celebration of the day as a means to create "appropriate ceremonies of friendly relations with all other peoples."
Unfortunately, politicians, Hollywood, TV, etc. have turned a day meant to celebrate peace and international friendship into a day promoting war and hate.
"Unfortunately Veterans Day has turned into a day to support war rather than a day to reflect on the horrors of war and the need to work for peace," said Veterans for Peace Executive Director Michael McPhearson in a recent press statement this week.
Veterans all over the country who share this commitment to peace "will be commemorating veterans day by marching in traditional parades, conducting solemn ceremonies and vigils to give an alternative view about war and the meaning of the day," McPhearson went on to say.
"Our statement of purpose is clear and direct when it says we intend to 'abolish war as an instrument of national policy.' We want this generation of veterans to be the last," said VFP President Elliott Adams.
The former Army paratrooper and Vietnam veteran added, "We not only speak out for peace, our organization works towards it every single day. We will continue to do so and in fact increase our efforts as VFP seeks to raise awareness of the human and monetary cost of war in the face of the global economic crisis."
