Anyone else watching the PBS Memorial Day program from DC?

[llmart]

I'm such a freakin' patriotic mess when watching these things, sitting in my living room by myself blubbering like a baby. Then the anger rises at how Trump and his despicable family have never done one thing to serve this country, not to mention how disrespectful he was to a Gold Star family and all Vietnam Veterans who served while he lived his playboy life. Add to that Colin Powell's appearance which made me want to throw a brick through the TV screen.

Anyway, I was brought up by WWII generation parents and born right after the war ended, where even as an elementary school child we were taught the sacrifices that generation made. I guess what I'm saying is I will NOT let the GOP co-opt patriotism for themselves which they have tried to do.

I am just as patriotic, if not more so than any Republican in office now and they will never take that away from me. I believe in democracy and will fly my flag the day we take back our country from the hate filled people called Trump supporters and they take this hate filled family out of our White House.

[liberal N proud]

1. Always watch it have attended it live several times

DC at Memorial Day is has a very solum atmosphere.

[llmart]

6. I attended a July 4th celebration and sat on the Capitol steps back during the first Bush's term.

It was the most beautiful summer evening and it will stay with me forever. I took my teenaged daughter there for a vacation. My oldest, a son, had been to DC before and was doing something else that week. When I was raising my two I felt it to be extremely important that children should be able to see DC and get a sense of history and government, etc., not just read about it in a textbook.

[liberal N proud]

12. Best place to watch 4th of July fireworks is from the hill between the Iwojima and Arlington

[a kennedy]

2. and thank gawd the orange piece of shit is gone from the city.

[llmart]

4. I think he's out of the country on purpose.

Can you imagine how afraid he would be to show his ugly orange face at something that honors people who actually did something for their country?

[liberal N proud]

14. Has he been in DC for even one Memorial Day?

[mucifer]

3. I watched American Experience on PBS last night on WWI Damn Woodrow Wilson was Evil!

Lots of stuff I didn't know about. Taught me that other Presidents were monsters. Andrew Jackson, Andrew Johnson.
So many people died for the racist crazy Presidents.

[Ohiya]

5. "I heard Woodrow Wilson's guns" - Vercruz by Warren Zevon

[TheCowsCameHome]

7. Yes, I am watching it again this year,

and I am sickened by that orange piece of shit POTUS playing golf, awarding trophies, and trashing a fine American servant (Joe) from half way around the world, plus generally behaving like a colicky baby, all the while proclaiming what a great president he is.

[llmart]

10. Don't forget kissing up to his new love, Kimmie.

I won't even watch him on TV let alone on the Fourth.

[greatauntoftriplets]

8. I had to leave the room when Colin Powell started blathering about the Iraq war at 17 years.

All I could think of was his role in starting it.

The early parts with Sam Elliott telling the story of the D-Day soldier was very moving, in part because my late father participated, but went ashore on day 6. I've long thought that I likely wouldn't be here if he had been in an earlier wave.

Dennis Haysbert and Joe Mantegna did a remarkable job as the two Vietnam vet buddies.

I had mixed feelings about it tonight, though I've previously thoroughly enjoyed that program. As for the July 4 celebration that Spanky is taking over this year, I plan to celebrate Bastille Day.

[llmart]

9. That was when I started blubbering.

They did a remarkable job. Plus, I'm so in love with Sam Elliott.

So glad Gary Sinese wasn't the host. I probably wouldn't have watched.

[greatauntoftriplets]

11. Sam's such a hottie, even at age 74.

I didn't miss Sinise either.

[Peace06]

21. Sam

And I am not far behind his age and he still makes my blood pressure rise!!

[Silver Swan]

13. Yes, I watched

and yes, I cried.

[Historic NY]

15. It was very nice, I still don't know how they read the accounts of veterans experiences.

[joanbarnes]

16. Agree with all. Choked me up that they thought they crushed fascism, and now....

[chillfactor]

17. i watched it and cried

through the whole program......it was very emotional.

[bitterross]

18. Love you for "blubbering" It gets to me too!

My dad served in the Philippines in WWII. I was raised as a patriot. Not a Democrat or Republican.

My parents very definitely favored the Democratic views though. Dad went to college on the GI Bill and worked for TVA. Both, of course, FDR programs.

[yaesu]

19. I had a chance to watch several great WWII, Vietnam documentaries on PBS today. nt

[lunatica]

20. Patriotism isn't the same thing for everyone

Trump, the Republicans, and the MAGATs love the past. Especially, it seems the bad old days when they were the favored Americans. They turn to the past as being the best of times.

Democrats love the future potential of our country. The possibilities of growing into our promised enshrined ideals. We turn to the future to create the more perfect union.

I never thought of it that way before. I guess the Right and the Left have always been polarized.

[llmart]

22. Very good analysis.

But as a lifelong Democrat I also love the past which shows us how an ideal becomes reality when we dream big enough and work together.

In my experience, the people who claim patriotism for themselves are oftentimes the ones who didn't serve in the military or in any capacity in service to our country. I'm not one who thinks you have to join the military to serve your country. There are so many other ways one can serve, but if you question a MAGAT, even tactfully, about what they've done in their lifetimes to serve their country, they'll get all defensive. Maybe their guilt weighs on them for not serving.

Or they're like Dubya who claims he served, but really took the easy way out by joining a National Guard unit (aka got a cushy slot through Daddy's connections), knowing full well that more than likely he'd get to bypass serving in a war zone. Then he never fulfilled his obligations of going to meetings once a month. And don't even get me started on the yellow bellied coward with his bone spurs.