Class on Vet’s Day: Disrespectful or Another Way of Saying Thanks?

Whether you were in class, browsing the mall or at home reading a book, you were part of the nationwide celebration of Veteran’s Day that took place this past Nov. 11.

Veteran’s Day is a federally-recognized holiday that serves as a date to honor those that have sacrificed to bring the United States the freedoms we enjoy. These sacrifices are the reason why you are able to learn about any subject you desire, read on any topic and have wide variety of products to purchase at the store.

Everyone has a different way of interpreting how we should be honoring our veterans and their service; however one certain interpretation has recently stirred up controversy in the sleepy town of Brookfield.

“Veteran’s Day” had been renamed from “Armistice Day” in 1954 to appreciate all war-toughened soldiers, no matter what conflict they had experienced. It has always been customary to commemorate the soldiers’ actions by ceremonies, donations and acts of gratitude each year. As well, schools all across the nation began to close down each Veteran’s Day to give their thanks to our country’s heroes.

This year however, Brookfield schools were opened to host a short morning assembly followed by a normal school day. Disgruntled students, parents and even other veterans voiced their opinion on social media, over the phone and in plain conversation regarding the decision.

Because this day is dedicated towards their accomplishments, I spoke with local vets this past weekend to discuss their views on schools being opened on Veteran’s days.

Contrary to the reactions I initially expected to receive, many veterans were rather bothered or even mildly angered about this issue. I discussed the topic with Roger, a bartender from the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) organization in Danbury. Roger served in the Korean conflicts of the early 1950s and expressed his views on schools being opened; this response surprisingly became a precedent for all my subsequent interviews.

The opening of schools was a sign of “no respect for veterans,” he plainly noted. He also went on to point out that if schools are being closed down for religion-specific holidays, such as Rosh Hashanah, then why can’t schools be similarly closed down to honor the people that made this country what it is today?

Of course not everyone goes out on a no-school Veteran’s Day to directly celebrate a vet; however it gives our nation’s service members a day to have a meal with their sons and daughters, go out to the city with their nieces and nephews or even just spend the day-off with their grandchildren.

John from the Bethel chapter of the VFW questioned the point of having school days off in the first place. He mentioned that if we’re not respecting our veterans, then who do we respect?

It was the struggles that these men and women prevailed through that decided the fate of our country today, that gave us the right to go to school and to open or close them freely. Especially if the veterans themselves are heated about schools being opened, it certainly says something about what the fate of next year’s Nov. 11 should be.

Furthermore, I implore everyone that reads this article to do an act of appreciation next Veteran’s Day towards our weathered heroes.