I appreciated Google’s tasteful tribute to Memorial Day, which was a small flag and ribbon icon located under the search box. Then I visited a board that has a more conservative outlook (it’s not a political board, but the membership there does skew older and more conservative), and was bombarded with complaints about Google not doing enough to commemorate the holiday, and how insulting it is.
I love Google Doodles and the way they are so random and interesting. They couldn’t commemorate every significant day if they tried, and I agree that some days may be too solemn for a Google Doodle. Everyone is free to observe the occasion, but there’s something unpleasant about calling others out for not doing so.
Men ran into death knowing they might die, and many of them did. Too many of them did, so with all due respect, Cosmic Relief, yes I DO think they deserve all the recognition we can give them.
Off the subject a bit, but I checked with my employer (a hospital; I was a respiratory therapist) and asked if they would do a special program to recognize all the Viet Nam Vet employees on Veteran’s Day?
To this date (and I’m retired/disabled now) they STILL haven’t done anything, and they have thousands of employees!
Our fathers, sons, brothers, and so many died to save us from Nazism, and also think about all the wives, mothers and fathers who got that two-officer visit.
Damn right there needed to be something on google to take note of that sacrifice.
So did pretty much every person who ever fought in any battle. I simply don’t have the time to memorialize for every fight where someone died.
And, no, actually, google doesn’t have any responsibility to commemorate various battles. If they want to, that’s their own business and you’re free to congratulate them when they do, but you have no call to try to shame them for not making a public commemoration for the things you think deserve it. Do you go into stores and berate the store owners for not putting a sign in the window for D-Day?
No, I don’t, and again with all due respect, stores don’t have the coverage/influence that google does. And if you don’t have the time to memorialize, then I think you’ve probably never served (sorry if I’m wrong) or watched a friend being shot to death next to you. My Dad was in the 82nd Airborne, and there is not one Veteran’s themed holiday/parade I miss.
Again, sorry to disagree. I’m a Viet Nam Vet by the way, so you’d expect that from me, right?
But even if I weren’t (and believe me I tried to get out of the draft, marched, got arrested and STILL wound up in the USAF) I’d say the same thing.
When you say “all” do you really understand what you’re saying? I assume right at this moment you and all your family are wearing a commemorative D-Day lapel pin? What about the Battle of Midway, Pearl Harbor, San Juan Hill, Bunker Hill… it just goes on and on. I think all this symbolic “thanks” is just a cheap substitute for the disgraceful way we actually treat veterans.
I disagree too. And I have all the respect for veterans. However, as others have said, a yellow ribbon or a Google Doodle really does jacksquat for them. Talk to your legislators, vote for legislators that support veterans’ rights, send care packages, write letters, but no, I don’t agree that EVERY day needs to be a reminder that men and women fight and die. On the contrary I think we need to commemorate life more often, and remember that war is after all a cruel necessity and not something to be celebrated.
Really? Because I feel a search engine is probably not the appropriate place to honor all the dead or those that fought, like my grandfather. Sure, the news should mention it, perhaps flags should be flown at half staff, but I don’t particularly care one way or another if a website that’s mostly used to search for porn decides to put up a cartoon commemorating the battle. Frankly, it’s somewhat cheapening for Google to commemorate it, really.
You are free to memorialize in your own way, no one would think less of you for that. But, you don’t get to dictate what level of commemoration is appropriate for everyone else.
I’m sorry. I think I may have misunderstood you, which easily happens these days.
the way I understand your post, is that June 6th shouldn’t be recognized because of D-Day if all the other wars aren’t recognized for loss as well?
Why not? There are 24 hours in a day, right?
Also, I think you have a soft place in your heart for Vets, am I right?
I blame Obama. Since he’s a communist and hates America I’d bet good money he called up Google and told them not to run a D-Day doodle or else he’d give the company over to China.
No, you said that we should give all the respect we can, not all the respect that’s due or all the respect we should and he’s making the point that basically, unless you spend every waking moment honoring the dead, you’re not doing all you can.
I just know that “right” is what I think it is and it’s a personal thing. ALL wars are bad, I know this, but what we asked of our military in both World Wars was just wrong and Bravery was the key word in both of them.
Educate me, please: There’s a Viet Nam wall, right?
