"I hate war as only a soldier who has lived it can, only as one who has seen its brutality, its futility, its stupidity."
--Dwight D. Eisenhower, Address before the Canadian Club, Ottawa, Canada, 1/10/46
Today, I want to honor my father, who served in the Navy, as well as two other relatives—veterans of two world wars. One died in World War I; the other fought valiantly against Fascism in World War II.
I cannot help but wonder what they would make of the world today. They belonged to generations that witnessed the devastating consequences of war, nationalism, and authoritarianism firsthand. One of these men was himself an Italian immigrant. I can only imagine how appalled they would be to see authoritarianism and the rhetoric of Fascism finding renewed acceptance in American politics, increasingly embraced, excused, or encouraged by elements of the Republican Party and its supporters.
There was a time when Republicans thought Fascism was a bad thing.
My relatives served so that future generations might inherit a world better than the one they knew. And it has made me infinitely sad—and deeply angry—to watch nationalism, authoritarianism, contempt for facts and humanity, the demonization of minorities and immigrants, and the suppression of dissent gain ground in the country they helped protect. Their lives, their struggles, their sacrifices and their deaths deserve better. And we—the people they believed they were serving—deserve better, too.
But something happened last week that gives me reason to hope.
In the midterm elections, Americans delivered a powerful rebuke to the direction our country has been taking. The Democratic Party's victories in both houses of Congress suggest that a great many Americans have had enough, that the principles of democracy still matter, and that the electorate is neither powerless nor indifferent. For the first time in a while, I find myself feeling that perhaps we have turned a corner.
Of course, a single election cannot undo the damage already done, nor can it guarantee what comes next. Authoritarianism does not disappear simply because it loses at the ballot box. But it is thrilling to see that democracy has a remarkable capacity for self-correction when its citizens are willing to defend it. And last week's results offer an encouraging reminder that the American experiment is not yet finished.
Meanwhile, on a day meant to honor those who have served, we find ourselves once again confronting the terrible human cost of war—this time in Iran, where a conflict our own government initiated has continued for more than eight months without a lasting resolution. Lives have been lost, families are grieving, civilians are suffering, and enormous resources have been consumed in a conflict whose ultimate purpose and end remain painfully uncertain.
That makes Eisenhower's words above feel less like history and more like a warning we have repeatedly refused to heed. He understood war not as an abstraction or a political talking point, but as someone who had seen what it actually costs. He called it brutal. He called it futile. He called it stupid.
Perhaps honoring our veterans should mean more than thanking them for their service. Perhaps it should also mean doing everything in our power not to squander the lives of another generation in wars that never needed to be fought—and defending, here at home, the democratic ideals that earlier generations of Americans were asked to risk everything to preserve.
This Veterans Day, I find myself thinking not only about what my father and my relatives gave to this country, but also about what we owe them in return. We owe them vigilance, certainly, but we also owe them the conviction that a better future is possible.
For all the darkness of recent years, I believe there is reason to be hopeful again. Last week's election was not the end of our troubles, but perhaps it was the beginning of something better.
And I like to think that the men in my family who served this country would find some comfort in knowing that the ideals they believed in are still worth fighting for—and that Americans are still willing to fight for them.
This time, thankfully, with ballots rather than bullets.
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