Should sporting or other events be held on Memorial day?

from JoeUser Forums

As I sit here with the television on and the baseball game tuned in on same, I'm asking myself, and now others, whether or not we should be holding sporting events or other events on Memorial day when those events don't have anything to do with the holiday.[more]

No, I'm not saying that the family picnics shouldn't be held, and I'm not sure I'm ready to say that we shouldn't have organized sporting events taking place on the day either, but in many ways it seems somewhat sacreligious to me that such events do take place when instead the day really should be (in my opinion) reserved for remembering and saluting the sacrifices of our military personnel and all that they've done for us.

Perhaps Major League Baseball should adjust their scheduling so that there is *one* nationally broadcasted baseball game scheduled with all but two of the teams in the league having the day off.  That one game would then be carried by all of the teams regional sports networks and include approximately 1 hour of pre-game programming that promotes the causes of local veterans groups and shows outreach work done by the team to work with those veterans groups.  During the game broadcast show the full pre-game activities with the presenting of the colors, the playing of the national anthem, and everything else, and use the regular commercial break periods to allow armed service members around the world to broadcast messages back to their family (or vice versa, with the family sending messages to their loved ones serving over seas).

As things stand, it seems to me that too many people ignore the purpose of the holiday and instead just celebrate the day off from work by going shopping and spending money at sales at big retailers.  I'd like to think that perhaps we could bring the day back to the proper purpose and show proper respect to the people that deserve it the most.

767 views 4 replies
Reply #1 from JoeUser Forums Top
No, I'm not saying that the family picnics shouldn't be held, and I'm not sure I'm ready to say that we shouldn't have organized sporting events taking place on the day either, but in many ways it seems somewhat sacreligious to me that such events do take place when instead the day really should be (in my opinion) reserved for remembering and saluting the sacrifices of our military personnel and all that they've done for us.
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I disagree. We honor those who have given their lives for the very reason of enjoying baseball and other activities. Without their sacrifice, we would not be able to enjoy them, and so we honor those who have sacrificed by not stopping the way we live.

I guess it goes with how I want my family and friends to behave when I die. Not to mourn my passing, but to celebrate the time I had here. And so we should do the same for the ones that gave the ultimate sacrifice - by living the way they died defending.
Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top

Since baseball is played by millionaires for team owners who are billionaires maybe they should all play on Memorial Day but be completely free for anyone in the military or whoever served and their families.

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Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top

I think it's fine to have sporting events on memorial day.  It's not supposed to be a day or mourning but a day of remembrance.  Part of Christmas and Thanksgiving is watching football, why not watch baseball on Memorial Day?  I think it's great to incorporate something to commemorate the "real" meaning into your celebration of the holiday. 

Reply #4 from JoeUser Forums Top
Since baseball is played by millionaires for team owners who are billionaires maybe they should all play on Memorial Day but be completely free for anyone in the military or whoever served and their families.
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That would be a fitting way to honor those living and serving. And the familes who suffered losses. I think it is an excellent idea.