Memorial Day can be an opportunity to narrow — a bit, for a moment — the gap between specific and general, tragedy and statistic. What was originally called Decoration Day became known as Memorial Day. What Memorial Day asks is that we respect war enough to come to grips with its destructive power and steep price. What Memorial Day understands is that respecting war begins with mourning one life cut short, one tragedy, one grave. Memorial Day is for listening — and learning.

Source: Washington Post May 24, 2019 20:15 UTC