Armistice Day’s Lessons for Veterans and the Rest of Us

On this day ninety-seven years ago, the so-called “war to end all wars” finally came to an end. Veterans Day is, therefore, an occasion for commemorating when the horrific bloodletting of World War 1 finally stopped.

It’s also a moment to reflect on an ominous reality: This day nearly a hundred years ago did not end all wars. They have continued to occur because enemies of freedom have periodically believed they could get away with aggression.

Usually that’s because America indulged in the reckless notion that it could safely disengage from the world. That has resulted in lots of veterans – many of them badly scarred – and ever-more graveyards containing the remains of others.

This Veterans Day, let us resolve to restore our national practice of peace through strength – and reject the present approach that endangers our troops and the rest of us.