Why Is Tonight Unlike All Other Nights?

Julian Sanchez | May 20, 2006

Oliver North blasts that wicked, politically correct MSM for insisting on maintaining an insidious omerta about the fact that today—Saturday, May 20—is Armed Forces Day. And a Google News search for "Armed Forces Day" only yields just under 350 hits, mostly in local papers noting city- or country-level parades or celebrations. But the conspiracy actually runs much deeper than Ollie suspects. It turns out that even President Bush is in thrall to the PC practice of ignoring AFD: His May 20 radio address not only failed to focus on the brave men and women currently serving in the military, it didn't even get a mention. Bush talked about immigration instead. Nothing on the White House news page either. The Weekly Standard's blog? Nope. (The Corner does limp in with a six-word post, though.)

So how about this: Instead of exploiting the occasion to rehearse the "liberal media bias" litany, why not just acknowledge that, like a lot of other "official" holidays, AFD just never really caught on with the general public all that much, and encourage people to start celebrating it more? Anyway, from this member of the almost-sort-of-mainstream libertarian media: Thanks to all those serving.

Comments

Warren|5.20.06 @ 11:44PM|#

I served three years on active duty. I saw Europe, learned a trade, and got like %1000 return on my investment for education. I was never in any serious danger, but there were terrorist attacks elsewhere in the Mediterranean while I was stationed in Sardinia (that big hunk of granite south of Corsica). They were the three most miserable years of my life.

Earlier today we burried my uncle with military honors (USN enlisted retired). No one mentioned AFD.

Veterians day should be enough. Once you start creating variations on a holiday, it becomes less special. When I was on active duty, I remember how underwhelmed I was whenever we had some celebration. It was always accompanied by the extra work of setting up, special security, and cleaning up that myself and other peons had to do.

|5.20.06 @ 11:47PM|#

Surely you mean Airport Fracas Day, celebrating the brave , the proud , the Graduation Challenged ten divisions of DHS baggadachios who must face the scythed hubcaps of octagenarian wheelcarioteers bent on dodging tennis shoe inspection . Armed with nothing more than Tasers and the odd submachine gun , they are all that stands between the nation and the defalcation of 11 million visitors lacking green cards.

|5.20.06 @ 11:52PM|#

Bart: I just think our veterans deserve a little recognition
Lisa: That's what Veterans Day is for, Bart
Bart: But is that really enough to honour our brave soldiers?
Lisa: They also have memorial day!
Bart: Oh Lisa maybe you're right maybe you're wrong, the important thing is that veterans deserve a day to honour them!
Lisa: They have TWO!

|5.21.06 @ 12:16AM|#

Fuck it, let's officially scrap the constitution, it's hardly used anyway, and declare the US a military dictatorship with GW Bush as the beloved commander in chief for life, like North and many other 'Murikuns seem to want anyway.

uncle sam|5.21.06 @ 1:24AM|#

Good Simpsons bit.
I don't know which charactor comes up with the best lines. Chief Wiggims has had some doozies.
"You missed the baby, you missed the blind man..."

|5.21.06 @ 3:16AM|#

A state holiday mandated to honor the agents of the state. I can honestly say I'm not that overwhelmed.

|5.21.06 @ 6:29AM|#

So, what happens when we ignore "Loyalty Day?"

|5.21.06 @ 11:54AM|#

Besides Veteran's Day and Memorial Day, it could also be added that Independence Day celebrations frequently have strong pro-military themes. (Not to mention Flag Day and Pearl Harbor Day, to the extent anyone notices them.)

|5.21.06 @ 12:30PM|#

Don't people tend to honor those currently serving in the Armed Forces on Veteran's Day anyway.

I don't like Patriot Day for September 11. It's too easily confused with Patriot's Day, which is a big deal in New England.

|5.21.06 @ 1:15PM|#

Shoot! I clicked that "official" holidays link above and learned the I totally missed "National Defense Transportation Day," which is to be celebrated on the third Friday of May! According to the link its purpose is to give "complete recognition to the importance to each community and its people of the transportation system of the United States and the maintenance of the facilities of the system in the most modern state of adequacy to serve the needs of the United States in times of peace and in national defense." 36 U.S.C. Sec. 120(2) Those damn liberal media pansies are suppressing coverage of this glorious holiday too!

|5.21.06 @ 6:19PM|#

"Instead of exploiting the occasion to rehearse the "liberal media bias" litany, why not just acknowledge that, like a lot of other "official" holidays, AFD just never really caught on with the general public all that much, and encourage people to start celebrating it more?"

Because Oliver North doesn't give a crap about getting people to celebrate Armed Forces Day, either, and merely found the subject to be a convenient launching pad for the "work the ref" strategy of the Right?

|5.22.06 @ 11:51AM|#

National School Lunch Week? You have to be kidding me.

|5.22.06 @ 2:19PM|#

Sometimes I miss working for McDonnell Douglas, when we actually got a day off for NATO Day. (I think it's April 4.)

Originally the founder, James S. McDonnell, wanted to let people off for United Nations Day. But later -- after the UN evolved from "staunch forces against war and totalitarianism" into a "the international we hate USA and Israel" club -- they changed it to NATO Day.

(Old Mac was kind of naive and starry-eyed, verging on pinko. He also wanted employees to officially address each other as "comrade." They changed that to "teammate.")

|5.22.06 @ 3:36PM|#

That's it, from now on I'm calling you Comrade Darkly.