In the eleventh month on the eleventh day at the eleventh hour, the guns of World War One fell silent. The Great War had ended.
It was not to be, as had been hoped, the war to end all wars. Armistice Day was changed to Veteran's Day to memorialize and honor all those who served before and since.
Perhaps one of the most moving and poignant reenactments of the futility of going "over the top" is from the comedy series Blackadder:
Much of the government shutdown really has no effect on the average person, unless the government goes out of its way to make it so.
One prime example is the shutting down of the national parks and monuments like the World War 2 monument. Even without government workers, it's not like the parks and monument are going to disappear. Closing them is simply petulance on the part of the Democrats, as even without government workers present, people could still ably camp, visit memorials and even drive through Yosemite, all on their own without any officials present. After all, they;'re Americans, and don't need the government holding their hands.
Now, if the FedGov is concerned about those who must first tug a forelock and ask permission or need to hold a government official's hand to visit a park and are thus worried about liability due to such helpless fools, and given governmental immunity that's hard to fathom, they should simply post a sign saying "No federal personnel or services available, enter at own risk".
I'd wager few would worry much about their absence.
Of course, such a closure didn't stop some determined American veterans from getting to the World War 2 Memorial:
The Detroit News: Battle of the Mall: WW2 vets storm WW2 memorial after Obama shutdown
Just moments ago on the National Mall, a group of World War II veterans (not many of those left, sadly) walked up to the World War II Memorial – their monument – only to find it surrounded by police tape, denying them access. But, as is characteristic with the folks who make up the Greatest Generation, the vets – canes, walkers and all — would have none of this nonsense. They stormed their memorial while Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, distracted police.
Good on the vets and Rep. King for seeing through the shutdown melt-down charade and visiting their memorial.
