Obligatory Annual Memorial Day Post

As is typical, I post on Memorial Day about the now-surreal nature of the holiday. Memorial Day originated in the aftermath of the Civil War as a day to decorate the graves of fallen soldiers. While there are multiple origin stories surrounding the holiday, some credit is due to African Americans in Charleston who buried the bodies of Union Soldiers in a ceremony in 1865. It is strange to me that this holiday is now celebrated mainly by going to the beach or drinking a lot on Sunday night and nursing a hangover. I can't fault people for this, though- Americans get few days off as it is, so people maximize their recreational time by enjoying a late-Spring day in the manner in which they choose. Perhaps the official Memorial Day should be moved to a less gorgeous time of year.

This Memorial Day, though, has been marred for some people in South Illinois by a creep who spray-painted hundreds of graves with swastikas. These acts of vandalism are particularly vile considering the timing. Illinois Nazis are the worst.