Memorial Day

Every few years I write about Memorial Day and its meaning. Many people really don't understand what it means.

Memorial Day is not about living veterans. That day is Veterans' Day. Memorial Day is not about recognizing all Americans currently serving in the military. That day is Armed Forces Day. Memorial Day is about those service members who never made it home.

Memorial Day is a day set aside to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country and her people. It's about remembering those who gave their lives in service to us all. It's a day we veterans honor because it's about our brothers and sisters who never returned from the battle. We honor their service and the price they paid.

I'm not going to write a long narrative about it. I'll end with this. While you're celebrating the holiday – taking the day off, going to the beach, barbecuing in the backyard, taking the kids someplace special, etc., think about the reason you have the freedoms you have. Many military members have died in your lifetime protecting those freedoms. So while you're celebrating on Monday, say a prayer of thanks and comfort for their families. We owe them all.

Censored by Facebook... Again

 

I belong to several different Facebook groups, some general – like a law enforcement groups, and some political discussion groups. Some are a combination of both.

One of the general pages to which I belong that also discusses political issues has been warned numerous times, particularly since the virus hit last year, about posting false information. Anyone who does not fall in line with the CDC's and Dr. Fauci's proclomations about the Covid virus and who post their own beliefs about the virus and the vaccine are warned that their opinion(s) are false information, period. Facebook does not allow people to voice their opinion about the virus if that opinion contradicts what Facebook says is true. Some of their posts are removed by Facebook for being “false information.” It's the same for people who believe that the 2020 election was stolen by the Democrats. One cannot state publicly on Facebook that the election was stolen because Facebook does not allow it.

The free exchange of ideas on Facebook is only permitted if Facebook agrees with those ideas. If they do not they pronounce it false information and attach a disclaimer warning the reader that it's false (according to their “fact checkers”) or remove it completely with no explanation.

It is Facebook's right to do this since it is a privately owned company. But I agree with the Republicans that Facebook should lose their Section 230 protection if they are going censor the free exchange of ideas on their platform. Their biased actions tell members “You are not allowed to use our platform to post your own ideas if those ideas are ones with which we disagree.” And it's pretty pathetic that such a huge corporation that makes its money by allowing people to post their thoughts and ideas is afraid of ideas with which they disagree. Are they afraid someone might change their mind by reading dissenting opinions on controversial topics?

People have suggested that I close my Facbook account and go to MeWe or Parlor. I have tried both and I really wasn't impressed with either, although one is allowed to post any ideas on both without censorship. I may have to revisit them both.

Facebook may suspend my account for posting this. We'll see. If you're on my Friends list and don't see me for a while that's what happened. And if they do it they will tell me it's because I violated their community standards. Of course, I won't be told what those standards are... probably one that prohibits telling the truth about them.