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As I write this I know by the time you read it Veterans Day will be over.

But a few things about Veterans day:  it was originally called Armistice Day and is on the 11th of November because on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month the War to end all wars World War I ended.

Now, we all know that this war did not end all wars, but at the time it was thought that countries would understand the cost of war and work at diplomacy instead.

  The name was changed to Veterans Day in 1954.

It is in time to honor all the veterans both dead and living.

These days I think we usually just think of it as a day off of work.

I believe it deserves more consideration and yes, I know I am partial to it because me, my wife, two sons-in-law, my father and my grandfather are all veterans.

But especially after the election cycle we should take a few minutes from grilling and partying to give thanks to the people who gave their lives so that we could live in a Constitutional Federal Republic. Some people don’t realize that this Country is a Constitutional Federal  Republic not necessarily a democracy.

The constitutional means that the government is based on the Constitution which is the Supreme Law of the United States.

   The constitutional part sets up how the federal and state governments are structured and places significant limits on their powers. It seems to me that this practice has worked for a long time and we really don’t need to change it.

  Federal means there is both a National Government and Governments of the 50 States.

  Republic means that the people hold the power but elect representatives to exercise that power. Hopefully we hire representatives that will actually do what we want not what they want. But it is always a shot in the dark.

I know this isn’t like my normal articles but like I said before it hits close to home, and I wanted to take a few minutes and Thank All the Veterans for standing up and defending the freedoms that we enjoy in this Country. I have been to a lot of Countries and while some are nice to visit there is no better Country to live in than the United States Of America.

 

BY STEVE PHILLIPS, mayor of Rutledge