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Veterans Day hasn't always been what it is today. Nov. 11 was originally designated as "Armistice Day" in 1918 to commemorate the end of World War I, when at 11 a.m. the treaty ending the conflict in Europe was signed. Some say that the world was silent at that time and that the moment of silence was the voice of God. In many parts of the world, people still observe a two-minute moment of silence at 11 a.m. to respect the 20 million people who were killed in what was thought to be "the war to end all wars."
In 1938, Congress declared the day a national holiday: "This shall be a day dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be hereafter celebrated and known as Armistice Day." However, at the urging of some veterans groups, it changed the name in 1954 from Armistice to Veterans Day. Where the focus used to be ringing church bells and working toward peace, we now have 21-gun salutes, flyovers of military jets and jingoistic pro-war speeches.
It's sad how America has gone from the goal of fighting "a war to end all wars" to fighting any war, any place, any time, for any reason. Wars are now even started based on outright lies, and no one seems to care.
In this time of great economic hardship, politicians are talking about cutting Social Security, which benefits the elderly, widows and orphans, rather than cutting one nickel from our bloated military budget, which consumes much of all discretionary spending. We have become a society addicted to war, and our VA hospitals are full of the victims of this addiction -- victims whose bodies and minds have been shattered because we choose to pursue foreign policy with weapons instead of negotiation.
I pray that someday we break this addiction to war, which is what is really bankrupting this country, and get back to celebrating Armistice Day as a day of peace. Maybe we can again hear the voice of God on Earth.
STEPHEN KRIZ, Maple Grove
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