MEMORIAL DAY

My childhood friends, family and teachers taught me that genocide is wrong. Anyone who commits it, funds it, or profits from it is a criminal. No exceptions. Now I'm told that I need to be wishy washy about genocide. I am asked to make exceptions for certain important political parties or important corporations or important religions. Now I'm told that opposing genocide means I'm being too much of a perfectionist. My childhood friends, family and teachers taught me about the trans Atlantic slave trade and the Holocaust. My Black and Jewish friends and teachers made the point especially strongly. The lesson was simple. Never be wishy washy about slavery or genocide. Now I am asked to believe that slavery and genocide are actually ok, when certain special people do them. My childhood friends, family and teachers taught me that democracy means you vote your conscience. When people vote against their conscience, and instead try to guess how everyone else will vote, that isn't democracy…