Today is Memorial Day. You can’t forget. Across America every newcast’s open, every paper’s headline, every Internet site’s banner will include an exhortation for us to remember those who gave their lives for our freedom. For the past several years I have joined them here in this blog. Please take time today to remember those who did, and please take some time to remember why they did.

Getting close to 240 years ago, 56 gentlemen met in Philadelphia and declared the United States of America free and independent and in support of that pledged “our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.” Eleven years later another group met for four months to frame the governing philosophy in the Constitution of the United States. Eight days later the first twelve amendments to the Constitution were presented. Ultimately ten would be ratified and known as the Bill of Rights. Over the next 229 years seventeen other amendments have been approved by the states.

These documents define the United States of America. It is to uphold these that every serviceman pledges his or her life to protect and defend. And in the 240 years that those ideals have been protected and defended 1,196,541 lives have been lost doing just that.

So take some time today and think of them. Then later on this week when you walk out of your house and go to your places of work and learning and worship, think of them. Then later this month when you take your vacation or plan your long weekend, think of them. And later this year when you go back to school or decorate for the holidays, think of them.

But please take some time before all that passes and read the Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution of the United States, and the Bill of Rights and understand why those lives were lost.

You might find a whole new appreciation for them. (I’ll let you decide which the antecedent is.)

That’s what I think. Really. How ‘bout you?