Sam Gibbons: “I come to the well here to express my concerns that Memorial Day is losing its true meaning. It has degenerated into a…”

“I come to the well here to express my concerns that Memorial Day is losing its true meaning. It has degenerated into a day where only token nods of the head toward our honored dead are given, if at all. Many people do not know that at 3 p.m. on Memorial Day, we should take a moment of silence in recognition for the lives lost for freedom's sake. But we cannot blame the American public. After all, it was Congress that made the day into a 3-day weekend in the early 1970s. By comparison, Mr. Speaker, Veterans' Day is celebrated on November 11, regardless of which day of the week it falls on, and Memorial Day should also be the same. Mr. Speaker, in honor of the thousands of men and women who have given their lives fighting for the freedom we enjoy today, and those currently fighting for the freedom we will enjoy tomorrow, let us restore Memorial Day to its original date, May 30. We owe our loved ones and friends who died in service to our country a restored Memorial Day.”