Memorial Day was established to honor those who paid the ultimate sacrifice in America’s bloody Civil War. Over the years, it has morphed into a day respecting the service of all veterans who protect the liberty endowed us by our Creator. It is a solemn day of giving thanks contrasted to the pomp and circumstance of Independence Day, but it is especially melancholy for me and here is why.

I have never served, so my remarks reflect the sacrifice of others. My great, great, great, great grandfather, Bernard Keran was the first of my ancestors to rally to The Cause; a term for liberty coined by Thomas Paine in The American Crisis. Bernard took up arms under the command of His Excellency, General Washington, during the 1776 Christmas Day crossing of the Delaware River. He was but one of the 2,400 Continental soldiers with the will to fight; one-third of which lacked boots so wrapped their feet in burlap and rope to repel winter’s bite. After suffering five months of defeats, Washington’s miraculous victory at Trenton sparked the hope freedom just might be possible. I am humbled by the enormous sacrifice of America’s earliest patriots.

Eighty-six years later, on the west bank of the Tennessee River, my great, great grandfather Tom Powers, served as a flag bearer for the Union Army of the Ohio. This Battle at Shiloh was the bloodiest in America’s history until replaced by the horrors of Gettysburg. Tom suffered a mangled left wrist thanks to a Confederate musket ball; an injury he carried from that afternoon in April, through his days homesteading our family ranch on Wyoming’s East Pass Creek, until his death in 1927 at the Old Soldiers and Sailors Home in Buffalo Wyoming. I am humbled by Tom’s service.

My father served as a medical corpsman in Korea. Leaving his high school sweetheart and bride of 17 months stateside, he was stationed with the US Marine Air Corp, VM06, on the southern border of the DMZ. A cease fire had been achieved prior to his deployment, so hostilities were not his primary concern, but it was a very long year of separation for Mom and Dad. I am humbled by my father’s service.

My son-in-law, Marcus is currently serving in the Navy’s Blue Angels in Pensacola, Florida. This is air-show season and because he is the senior member of the avionics crew, he leaves his wife and three wee ones for weeks at a time. If he continues serving in the Navy, the weeks of separation will stretch into months to meet his sea-duty obligations. The sacrifice is borne by more than just the one in uniform and I am humbled by their service.

There is nothing special about my family’s service history; many Americans could tell similar stories. My point lies elsewhere. Here is my rub: Elected Democrats fully endorse wealth redistribution, while 50 percent of Republicans fully endorse compromise. This means most politicians trade freedom for the misperception security lies in servitude to big government. This is infuriating to those of us who cherish liberty, which is my point. The only possible way to right our ship is to replace liberal Republicans with constitutional Republicans; forget the Democrats, their wagon is already smashed at the bottom of the cliff thanks to a maniac teamster by the name of Karl Marx.

The May 18th, edition of the Billings Gazette leads with the headline, “Outside groups sending out attack mailers for primary election.” The spin is there is something evil about freedom loving citizens exposing the voting records of those willing to trade freedom for power. The true evil is the complete disregard politicians have for liberty; something purchased through the sacrifice of others. So once again, this Memorial Day, I will sit in the darkness and quietly bang my head on the kitchen table.