By DARRELL EHRLICK | Editor-in-Chief
For many people, the Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start of summer — close to the end of school, the return of hot weather, and hitting the road for a summer vacation. But, today we also take a moment to reflect on the holiday’s true meaning, an opportunity to remember those who gave their lives for freedom’s sake – Darrell Ehrlick, Editor-in-Chief.
Memorial Day and the women who mourn
by Ed Saunders
Years ago in late May, the calendar showed Memorial Day would soon come to Yellowstone National Cemetery in southcentral Montana. Many people would then visit graves, watch ceremonies, and listen to patriotic speeches. A rifle salute would crack, and the mournful bugle call of Taps would finish the day. But not today. Today she walked […]
Data center battles started in the states. Now it’s Congress under siege.
by David Lightman
WASHINGTON — Higher electric rates? Massive data centers looming over neighborhoods? Ugly political fights over what to do about them? The future of data centers and their huge appetite for electricity is quickly escalating as a political flashpoint from coast to coast, moving from cities and states now to the nation’s capital. Bills are under […]
THE HOOK
It just kind of figures that a nation made up of people from every corner of the earth would be great at “repurposing” things. Our national anthem has its origins in a popular Irish tune. And the song that is meant to show the ultimate sign of respect those who gave their life for the country is really an arrangement of an older military tune.
“Taps” has just 24 notes in it, played slowly and clearly. The origins of it being used in the form that we now know it stretch back to 1862, the Civil War, and Virginia. It was — and still is — used to signal the end of the end of the day for soldiers. And of course, it is used to symbolize the end of a soldier’s life.
Maybe it’s because we’ve been conditioned to understand the song comes as a final tribute at the end of life, or maybe it’s the somber setting, but it’s hard not to get a little choked up when listening to it.
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