What to remember on Memorial Day

There is much to remember each Memorial Day, the military, family picnics, parades, our great nation.

The first claim I settled when assigned to Philadelphia in the mid-1960s was a dog bite claim for the Philadelphia Contributionship, that fire insurance company founded by Ben Franklin in 1752. Later, I received a “firemark” for the Contributionship, but had to promise never to take it into the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania: it constituted an unissued policy!

The second claim was for American Home, an AIG firm, the third for USAA. I’ve probably handled claims for 80% of the insurers in America — and a few international ones as well — in 50 years in the claims business. Settling claims for Old Ben’s insurer and for those of military officers seemed patriotic. They had faith in the insurance industry, and we had faith in them. There was company loyalty and significant employment security.

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Hopefully that is still true of most employees and their employers. But the more one hears about globalization, outsourcing, downsizing, trade deficits and computerized robots doing jobs Americans used to do, one wonders. Are these trends what we will remember on future Memorial Days? Or will it be as it is now, where that last Monday in May is held sacred for those who died in service to their country?

As an Army draftee during Viet Nam, I encountered many who would die in that war, as well as those who returned wounded, both physically and emotionally. They paid a price, often just because their number came up at the draft board.

Once the draft ended, only volunteers joined the military branches. Today, millions of young men and women have never served in any of the services; electing to spend their time at a job or in college. Some were unable to pass a modern screening device known as a “drug test.” On Memorial Day, will they remember that their great-grandfather fought in France, the Pacific Islands or Korea, or that their mom fought in Saigon or Iraq?

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The importance of patriotism

It is not hard to recall a time when Americans were divided by color. We forget how “patriotic Americans” treated the Native American tribes, the Indian Wars, the Trail of Tears for the Cherokee or the March to Ft. Sumner for the Navajo. We forget the struggles for civil rights and the Great Depression. Every American should read John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath. We forget who harvests our food.

Fortunately, we are improving, only now there are different color divisions: red and blue. This is partially due to historic political factors. One is the “electoral college,” which elects presidents by states, not necessarily the most democratic process.

Another is the Constitution, which grants to every state two senators. Blue states generally have high populations, but only two senators; red states are usually less populous, so their senators represent fewer people; there are more low population rural states than crowded urban states, hence for the last few decades little has been accomplished in Congress.

The same is true in state governments; there are more rural counties than urban, but state constitutions may give counties equal voice. States can “gerrymander” districts to suit political needs. The result is that tax revenue often is not used where it is most needed, in urban areas.

Whether anything that occurs in Congress this year or next will make America even better is unknown, but it remains doubtful. America is already great; some changes could make America better, or might make it less great. It is something to remember on Memorial Day.

Ken Brownlee, CPCU, (kenbrownlee@msn.com) is a former adjuster and risk manager based in Atlanta, Ga. He now authors and edits claims-adjusting textbooks. Opinions expressed are the author’s own.