Misty Water-Color Memories

They say we should "Remember 9/11," but it's already fading away. I think that's okay.  We put locks on the cockpit doors, and that was all it really took to make sure it wouldn't happen again. I don't think there's any enduring life lesson to be learned, it was just something awful that happened.

I saw an old button at an estate sale recently that said "Remember Pearl Harbor." There aren't many people that do, not really, and there's not any reason to. In today's world it would be impossible to hide a fleet of aircraft carriers- some idiot would snap a selfie, and the secret would get out.  I guess the lesson is something about eternal vigilance, but that's a pretty stressful way to live, believing an attack is always imminent.   No sane person is going to do that.

Before that, the slogan was "Remember the Maine!" The Maine was a ship that was poorly designed and blew itself up, but America blamed it on the Spanish and used it drum up popular support for a war. There's nobody that still remembers it, but you can look it up in a history book.  I don't think it matters anymore.

And there was "Remember the Alamo!" but there was never any compelling reason to. A small group of soldiers was massacred by a larger group of soldiers, but it didn't affect the outcome of the war.  It was a horrible, violent thing that happened.  It was sad for their families.

There have been thousands of battles, even wars, that are completely forgotten now.

That's the way it goes.

There are always newer, fresher atrocities to take their place.