Shame on us for not caring enough

Mike Gunter really struck a nerve Monday morning. In fact, he did more than that. He took us Southern Illinoisans to the woodshed.

The decorated Vietnam War vet from Herrin, who has embraced the role of public speaker in recent years, minced no words in describing how he felt about the attendance or lack thereof at the Memorial Day service at Rose Hill Cemetery in Marion.

"As I look around here today, I see many of you that have served and it's not often enough that we tell you that we appreciate what you've done. But, I ask myself ... at ceremonies like this, why is it that the men and women that have already paid the price are the ones that are here to pay honor to our fallen? Where are the citizens that enjoy the freedoms that these men and these women fought for?"

Gunter wasn't finished with his rant against absentee citizens.

"They're not here today," he said. "They're at home complaining at their barbecue about how hot it is. Or if it were raining, they'd be complaining about the rain. Guess what? In the jungles of Vietnam, we complained about the heat we had to endure. How about the cold of Korea?

"So many of our brave men and women came home with frostbite so severe that they had to have limbs amputated. They complained, too, but they fought the battle. These kids in uniform today are the ones enduring in that desert heat. They, too, deserve our respect, at the very least for a half-hour or so on this sacred holiday."

Powerful words from a man who has a right to feel hurt about what he perceives to be a growing indifference toward veterans and the many sacrifices they made for this nation.

Our superb photojournalist, Ceasar Maragni, covered the event and came away inspired.

Like Ceasar, I have heard Gunter address Memorial Day and Veterans Day gatherings over the years. He has a valid point. We Americans have taken our personal freedom too much for granted at times. We don't often reflect on the hardships endured by the men and women of the military that allow us to live our lives virtually any way that we wish.

Lives were lost to protect our freedom and sometimes we act as if we are oblivious to that fact.

While I have attended my share of Memorial and Veterans Day events in my life, I have no excuse to miss a 30-minute service that honors the fallen. I will redouble my efforts to make sure I don't miss anymore.

And I would encourage all of you to do the same.