Con-

As the daughter of a marine and a member of a military family, it is quite a challenge to understand the logic behind the decision to have school on such an important holiday. We live in a town full of military parents, and with the base being so close, we have an even bigger sense of militarism. We take the day off to celebrate Columbus Day, a goof holiday, completely undeserving of its current status. Instead, we force children to go to school on a day reserved for appreciating our troops. A large majority of our students have parents on active duty. Because veterans get the day off of work, it seems only fair that they should get to spend time with their families. Now, I will acknowledge, with my deepest reverence, the efforts of the school to host a Veteran’s Day Assembly. However, while we get to learn about the holiday, we are not truly embracing its meaning. The holiday is about respecting our troops and welcoming them home and remembering. Sure, we can pile in 1000 people into a gym and let them hear from veterans. We can be quiet and respectful. We can take something away from their speeches. We can consider a career in the military. And for some, we can silently give our thanks. What we cannot do is go home to our mothers and fathers enrolled in service and throw our arms around them and show them our thanks. We cannot go out to lunch with our family and say “thank you for your service” to every man in dress we see. Some people may question who should be allowed to miss school, and the answer is everybody. If somebody chooses to stay in bed watching Netflix all day, then it is their choice. But for the rest of us, an extremely large number of us, we can be with our families; with the people we love. We can show our love and support and when we see those veteran speakers out in public, it is then that we can also show our thanks to them. Education never fails to be a top priority, but in this country, respect for troops is something we must encourage.

Samantha Barnes, Social Media Editor

Senior Samantha Barnes is the Social Media Editor of the 2015-2016 Colonel. She is the secretary of Student Congress and competitively horseback rides.