It is the time of year when we approach Remembrance Day and I start to see many posts from people who complain that people who put up their Christmas decorations early, or the retail businesses that have Christmas stock already on their floors are disrespecting Veterans. As a retail store and also as a daughter of a veteran, I wanted to respond to these comments.
I believe that putting up decorations has nothing to do with respecting our veterans. It is more a function of getting them up before the weather turns ugly and being able to enjoy the season a little longer. I believe veterans fought for our right to do this. The better way to respect veterans in my opinion is to quit treating Remembrance Day like a holiday. Go to one of the ceremonies and give thanks that there were brave men and women who gave their lives so we can put up decorations, vote and live without persecution and oppression.
People also complain that stores are trying to turn Christmas into a commercial holiday to encourage people to spend more money by having their Christmas stock on display so early. As a store owner myself, I understand why they do that. All retail stores want to sell their product and make a living for sure however, many of them have to unpack large containers, mark the product and get it out on the floor when they can. That means finding a place to keep the large crates until they can be unpacked, working around their other schedules, finding the staff to do the work. It takes a lot of time to do this even for a smaller retail store and it must be done when it can be. None of this has anything to do with respecting veterans. It is simply a function of time, weather, space availability etc.
It is time to quit complaining about lack of respect for Veterans through Christmas decorations and start being the solution by treating them better every day, ensuring they have housing, medical treatment and living expenses. Quit treating the one day a year they show respect by turning it into a extra holiday and spend some time reflecting on their sacrifice. Let’s quit spending time complaining and be part of the solution. Just my opinion.