A Memorial Day ‘Commemoration’ 2011 (Polemic) by Edwin L. Young, PhD

This past Memorial Day, 2011, I revisited America’s war history as I memorialized the war dead from many wars. I commemorated:

· The war dead among the American Indians Tribes whom the settlers of the New World slaughtered while driving them out of their native land

· The Africans slaughtered and enslaved by the Europeans while taking their native land and the American Colonists and the nascent United States political leaders and businessmen who continued brutal slavery of Africans

· The Mexican Army soldiers killed when the Texans commandeered their territory

· The Coal Miners, factory workers, and Labor Union members killed when protesting inhuman treatment by their corporate employers

· The civil rights and university student demonstrators protesters killed when the African Americans were seeking to be treated as equal citizens

· The Vietnamese who died defending themselves against US invasion

· The students and veterans who were brutalized and killed while protesting against the Vietnam war

· The Iraqis killed when the US illegally occupied their country

· The Afghans who are being killed by the US and NATO forces illegally occupying their country

· Our patriotic soldiers who died after blindly putting their trust in corrupt and imperialistic political leaders who took their orders from greedy, maniacal corporate leaders and defense contractors

Finally, I salute all American Activists who boldly confront the lies and misdeeds of our government and corporations and call for reform.