Should Memorial Day and America's War Dead be commercialized?
http://home.pacbell.net/veterans/xmemday.htm

Topic: Every year the single day established by Congress to Honor the
sacrificial contributions of our military dead, Memorial Day, becomes
increasingly commercial. Once upon a time retailers devoted at least a
full page of their advertising brochures to America's dead. Today
there is rarely a mention in Memorial Day advertising to the lives
lost to protect our Freedom and Democracy. The only private industry
mentioned in and protected by our Constitution is equally preoccupied
with making a buck on America's dead. Only a few of the leading
newspapers and broadcast media companies display the names of our
country's war dead in Iraq. However, none of the websites maintained
for the display of photos or information on our war dead is commercial
free. CNN, for example, displays tiny photos of American's killed in
action but the foreheads or chins of the faces displayed are cropped
to make room for the countless ads displayed on CNN's website. The Los
Angeles Times, citing another example, displays the full faces of
America's Iraq dead but viewing of only 10 photos per page is
permitted to make room for half of each webpage devoted to commercial
advertising. As of today, not a single Veterans Organization has
protested the commercialization of America's war dead by the news
media.

America's war dead have paid the ultimate price. America's news
agencies and retailers should not require additional payment to Honor
our dead.

What is your opinion?
http://home.pacbell.net/veterans/xmemday.htm

---------------------------
Otis Willie
Associate Librarian
The American War Library
http://www.americanwarlibrary.com