Conversations in the American Mid-west
Location: Union Station on the Day before Memorial Day
-That was great huh?
-Yeah. It is very different to remembrance Sunday events in England.
-Oh yeah
-Yeah in England it is very sombre. It is like a national day of mourning. Like a national funeral.
-Oh?
-In fact there's a real cultural difference here.
-Oh yeah. I guess here it's more of a celebration
- I can't help thinking that waving flags, firing Cannons, singing patriotic songs about war, concluded with a massive fireworks display might be considered the height of bad taste, given the true abject horror and suffering of warfare?
- Oh yeah? haha!
- I mean those cannon blasts would have reduced many real veterans to nervous wrecks wouldn't they? I mean they used to have to run towards those buggers and watch the hot metal chew up their friends? I'm not sure they'd find much to celebrate in that?
- Ha ha. That's funny. I guess everyone does things differently
- Yeah I agree. Not everyone would have the light aircraft circling overhead trailing a banner with an enormous colour photograph of a 10 week aborted fetus...
- Well tomorrow we have a wreath laying by President Bush...
- At least he'll have fresh graves as well as fresh flowers...
- Ha ha ha!...
- Do you think maybe I should forget the politics and just enjoy the show?
- I think so...
- Ok
-That was great huh?
-Yeah. It is very different to remembrance Sunday events in England.
-Oh yeah
-Yeah in England it is very sombre. It is like a national day of mourning. Like a national funeral.
-Oh?
-In fact there's a real cultural difference here.
-Oh yeah. I guess here it's more of a celebration
- I can't help thinking that waving flags, firing Cannons, singing patriotic songs about war, concluded with a massive fireworks display might be considered the height of bad taste, given the true abject horror and suffering of warfare?
- Oh yeah? haha!
- I mean those cannon blasts would have reduced many real veterans to nervous wrecks wouldn't they? I mean they used to have to run towards those buggers and watch the hot metal chew up their friends? I'm not sure they'd find much to celebrate in that?
- Ha ha. That's funny. I guess everyone does things differently
- Yeah I agree. Not everyone would have the light aircraft circling overhead trailing a banner with an enormous colour photograph of a 10 week aborted fetus...
- Well tomorrow we have a wreath laying by President Bush...
- At least he'll have fresh graves as well as fresh flowers...
- Ha ha ha!...
- Do you think maybe I should forget the politics and just enjoy the show?
- I think so...
- Ok
