Hernando County history teachers have been warning us for years: students, in this county and beyond, have very poor knowledge of basic historical facts.
Knowledge of history is crucial. There are lessons to be learned from past tragedies. But even while students defiantly refuse to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance and can't find Iraq on a map, even though the United States has been at war for the past ten years, the Hernando community fails as a whole to demonstrate the importance of honoring those who fight for freedom... even the freedom to ignore basic history.
The author of this article scoured online news as well as printed newspapers in hopes of finding even one tribute in Hernando to those who gave their lives on December 7, 1941. There were none. Sure, there were a few stories in print, which can be read here, here, and here, but no candles lit, no trees planted, not even a flag displayed in memory of some of our bravest men and women.
Perhaps it is because each year, there are fewer and fewer WWII veterans to remind us of the importance of such a day. The youngest Pearl Harbor survivors would be 88 years old this year. It is much easier to ignore when there are no pesky veterans around imploring us to take ten seconds and remember the fathers, brothers, sisters, mothers, husbands, and wives who never returned home to their families.
Or, perhaps this is more of an indication of our mentality in general. We can't be bothered to think about even the most slightly depressing event, let alone a complete massacre. Only ten years out from 9/11, people already do not want to be inconvenienced by those who "dwell on" (i.e., honor and remember) the lives lost in that tragedy. All the more reason to let Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, now in its 70th year, slip by without so much as a whisper of a prayer.
Maybe this is a good opportunity for us to re-evaluate our priorities. You don't have to give up watching that famous video of the cat riding the Roomba. Just take a moment and light a candle or say a prayer. Plant a tree. Fly a flag. Remind the people around you that our veterans matter.
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