It was with almost total apathy that I read this article: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/09/05/budget-cuts-to-silence-live-performances-taps-at-new-york-military-funerals/.
In brief, it says that in the state of NY, taps, usually played at the funerals of fallen servicemen and veterans, will henceforth never be played by an actual bugler unless the bugler volunteers to do so. Why - federal spending cutbacks. Shit, I have not heard one iota about that bastard in the White House cutting back welfare spending lately. I have heard though that there are more people on it than ever, by far, under his administration. So, once again he just thumbs his nose at our military and veterans while building a new army of citizen welfare slugs.
Well, if the federal and state governments are not going to pay for proper honor guards for our fallen military personnel, then they should at least solicit volunteer organizations who would be happy and willing to do so. That is the way the Catholic Church has done it for years when it came to altar boys and choir singers. It is the way the Salvation Army and Volunteers of America has done it when staffing their Christmas time collection efforts with bell ringing Santas. It is the way of Americans helping Americans, the way we have been doing it since we kicked the arses of the British in the Revolution.
So why can't we do it now. I imagine that at least one group, such as the Boy Scouts of America, probably has a music merit badge. In fact, I know they offer a music merit badge. So OK, they have one already, why not create a new merit bade. Let's call it Honor The Military merit badge or Honor The Ultimate Sacrifice merit badge, or the Honor The Fallen merit badge, or Honor The Families of The Military merit badge, anything that would get the message across that what you would be doing t earn the badge would be to honor those who have passed away yet at sometime in their lives had honored the rest of us by serving us in the military. It would simply require the scout to pay homage to the deceased and his/her remaining loved ones, by performing taps, live, at a set number of funeral services, say 5 within a year, for fallen military personnel or fallen veterans (both who were discharged honorably). Of course a little more could be added to the requirements for the scout such as having to learn the military accomplishments of the deceased, learning about his branch of service and even his unit. Imagine the patriotism that would be instilled in the youth and the history he or she would learn about America and her military. Imagine the honor that would be paid to the family of the fallen and to the fallen him/herself.
If anyone out there, who reads this, is affiliated with the BSA, get on the horn and help me get it done. I could not find any link on their website by which I could send them an email otherwise I would have sent the suggestion to them myself.
All the best,
Glenn B
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