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as we’ve all been reminded by the obligatory holiday sales (on a sidenote, does anyone else find rampant consumerism and observance of “holy-days” contradictory? why does every holiday inevitably become reduced to an excuse to feed the greed of capitalism?), today is memorial day and thanks to an afternoon of cable news at my in-laws’ house, i’ve seen plenty of flags and heard many references to why we celebrate this day. and it’s appropriate. brave soldiers have bled for the freedoms we hold so flippantly, and for their sacrifice i am grateful. so i’m all for supporting the troops if that means making sure they are a last resort, ensuring that they are justifiably sent into harm’s way, and advocating for adequate veterans’ healthcare and support services in society. i support the troops because they’re people, too- with families, career questions, and difficult circumstances that really are life and death situations. but thankfully, supporting the troops does not mean that i have to support the war. (more…)