Launching Memorial Day Weekend

By Douglas V. Gibbs

Friday afternoon a tanker exploded on the 91 Freeway, closing the freeway in both directions, and delaying folks from getting home for up to eight hours. The driver, originally believed to have been burned alive in the truck, is uninjured.

The 91 Freeway is one of the busiest freeways in the Southland, and the area of the freeway through Corona is where it gets most congested. Sure enough, a chain reaction accident near the 71 Freeway at Corona on the 91 Freeway led to the tanker truck overturning, and burning for hours. The incident occurred at about 10:30 AM, a time when I am normally on that freeway in my big rig returning from a trip to Los Angeles or Orange County.

My day usually begins between 2:30 and 3:30 in the morning, and I pull in front of my home in the evening at about 5:30 or 6:30 at night. With the Memorial Day weekend coming, however, it has been an uncharacteristically slow week, and when my mother called me on my cell phone at 11:30 in the morning to find out if I was stuck in the 91 Freeway traffic resulting from the tanker truck fire, I had already been home for two hours. She called because she was concerned, even though she knows I don't drive a tanker. It is funny, you know. Every time she hears on the news that a big rig crash has occurred, she calls me to make sure I am not the driver.

I appreciate Mom's concern, and always reassure her when she calls.

Though there was no fatality, the news of the explosion, and the freeway mess, was all over the local news. People are concerned when these things happen close to home, as well they should be. But I wonder why these same people that are so concerned about local tragedy don't take the care on the Memorial Day weekend to stop for just a moment, and give a moment of silence to the fallen heroes of our U.S. Military, past and present.

A bunch of folks, trying to be conversational, asked me what I have planned for the Memorial Day weekend. Some of them have camping trips, fishing trips, cookouts, and family gatherings planned, and all of those things are wonderful in themselves, and most folks deserve the long weekend. But not a one asked about the true reason for the weekend. Realizing this, each time I responded, "I will be visiting my Grandfather at Riverside National Cemetery to thank him for my liberty."

When it comes to politics, we are concerned over the direction of the country under Leftist leadership, and here in California the battle over illegal immigration is reaching an angry crescendo. The Democrats are threatening to subvert our Constitutional right to bear arms with an International Small Arms treaty as the states continue their fight to reject the unconstitutional mandates of the ill-conceived federal health care legislation. We are concerned about everything political, as we should be, but we rarely stop to realize why we have the right to talk about these things in the first place, without fear of the government coming to take us away for seditious activities.

This morning I, and a group of four others, spread out and visited over 300 homes in Murrieta to spread the word about my campaign for Murrieta City Council, and the campaign of other conservatives, in our local area. Most folks weren't home, probably off on some trip to the river, or to the mountains. I came across a few folks loading their motorcycles for a trip to the desert, and another pulling out of his driveway with surf boards firmly fastened to the top of the small sedan.

The long Memorial Day weekend offers many things for Californians to do, and by God, they are going to make sure they do them, despite the traffic mess on our freeways.

Once again, I wonder how many folks are going to stop long enough to consider the reason for the freedoms we have, and the reason for the long weekend upon us. How many folks will stop and give a moment of silence to honor the men and women who died so that we may have the freedoms to head out for the weekend, or speak freely, or practice our religion without reprisal. I wonder how many will attend their local National Cemetery to witness the ceremonies, or to visit a loved one that gave the ultimate price.

While President Obama will not be at the laying of the wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldier at Arlington Cemetery, an extraordinary decision considering we are currently a nation at war, it does not give us a reason to ignore the traditions of this nation, or to fail to give a silent prayer to our heroes.

Despite my busy schedule, and the bar-b-que I will be attending, I will take time to pray for our fallen, and to visit my grandfather who is laid to rest at the Riverside National Cemetery. He died only a few years ago, and fought in Europe during the harrowing years of World War II.

As a recipient of his sacrifice, I can at least give him, and the others, the courtesy of a moment of silence, a tear, and a thank you.

-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary

Traffic getting back to normal on 91 Freeway - Los Angeles Times

President Obama’s Memorial Day Vacation - The Heritage Foundation