You thought I forgot, but I didn’t…

You thought I forgot, but I didn’t…

Local Commentary I know that the 30th of May is Memorial Day, and I know that it has passed, and I know that it is a day to remember our fallen soldiers. I know that it was a day of parties and cookouts with the family, and that is fine, but you’ve got to remember that the reason you were able to do that was because of a soldier.

But the reason that I'm off a week is the same reason that a lot of people think only at Christmas time about the little baby that was brought into this world to die and give the opportunity for each one of us to go and live with God for all eternity. So, I'm taking a little different way of looking at it.

If you see the protesters in the street, it was because of the veterans that gave them the chance for them to do that, because in a lot of other countries, they would have been killed if they had tried to do that.

If you see a line of people lined up to vote, then it was because of the veterans that they were able to do that, and those veterans don't tell you who to vote for.

If you see a great number of protesters that are flying all types of flags from all different parts of the world, even those that stomp and spit on the flag of the United States of America and also to the point of burning it, then remember this it was our veterans that gave them that right to do that.

So what I'm saying is we need to think of them and thank them everyday of the year and especially the ones that paid the supreme sacrifice. I was just thinking how many tears have been shed by all the mothers and fathers through time that have gave their boys and girls for the betterment of this great nation that we call America. Remember that they were men and women to all of us, but to Mom and Dad they were their little boys and girls, that grew up with the hope that they would make their way in this world and be happy and do something spectacular with their lives. They never thought that they would ever grow up, join the military, and go to war and never come home again.

All I'm trying to say here is, don't ever let our veterans think that America doesn't care and recognize what they were so willing to do that would make all our lives and our children's lives be so much better. So, as I said on the front end, about the baby Jesus that a lot of us only think about it once a year. We should never do that about our veterans either. It is so sad when you hear about how many commit suicide every year, or how many die while waiting on some type of medical care, and also how many that are living on the street with no place to go. With that thought, America ought to hang her head in shame.

It also bothers me a lot when you hear of cities all over America that will spend untold amounts of money to make sure that a lot of illegals have the very best of everything, including protection from the authorities, even though they broke the federal law by being here. And our veterans? Well, I guess they shouldn’t have fought in that war and got shot or had explosives blow up near them.

I don't want to get political here, but it strikes me in a particular way that the person running for president can get so many people excited about a dictatortype becoming the leader of such a great nation. All I'm saying is, don't let this country get to the point of all of us thinking about our veterans only one day a year, and give some thought as to why with America being the greatest nation in the world, that they have to suffer so much in their life, when they were willing to lay it all down for us.

So let me say this: My prayer is that not only the veterans but all of humanity will accept that free gift that was made available to all of us by that little baby that died so many years ago, but yet lives right today. So God bless every one of you that might read this and also bless all of your loved ones — and God bless our Veterans.

Bill McFerrin is a West Memphis man with some things to say and a certain way of saying them.

By Bill McFerrin