Our Take

I (Conner) had the privilege of giving the address at the local American Legion post's Memorial Day ceremony. My speech follows. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Toward Obscurity Good morning, friends, neighbors, and I extend a warm welcome especially those of you who have served in the military and their families. To our Gold Star families: the debt we owe you can never be repaid. Thank you. Joining the Armed Forces is a rare thing today. About a half percent of our nation’s population is actively serving at present. Veterans account for about 7.3 percent of our population. It’s a small cohort. And it’s not surprising really. Aside from the danger of dying, entering the military runs counter to one of culture’s biggest values: getting attention. How many of us in this room have our   social media pages which broadcast to the whole world, “This is me!” Whereas many of us are naturally inclined to seek prominence as