The day after Memorial Day

Just as it's become popular to "thank a vet," so too has it again become popular to to describe the sacrifice of many of our fallen military heroes as "a waste."

I understand the sentiment. I agree that many of our fellows choose to squander the gift they've been given, to take the supreme sacrifices for granted, to be selfish and sectarian and unprincipled and thoroughly malignant.

But those things have nothing at all to do with the selfless sacrifice of our American heroes. Their sacrifice can never be a waste, because they died supporting and defending this:

Not you. Not me. The Constitution of the United States. The codification of the greatest idea of all time, the last best hope, the heart and soul of the state of being that is America.

Which allows for this, times about 217 million. 24/7/365 (and a quarter).