Memorial Day and Politics - Is it right to campaign on Memorial Day?

Memorial Day and the Responsible Role of Politics  

Every year on the last Monday of May (today), Americans gather in cemeteries, town squares, and memorial parks to remember those who gave their lives in service to the United States.  Friends and families gather, and it is the unofficial "kickoff" to summer. 

But Memorial Day is not just another day off. It is a sacred moment on the national calendar—one that transcends partisanship, religion, sex, and all the "isms" over which we quarrel, and reminds us of the cost of freedom.

For candidates and elected officials, Memorial Day presents both an opportunity and a responsibility. It is appropriate—indeed, it is vital—for those in public service and seeking office to participate in Memorial Day observances. After all, many of the fallen died defending the democratic institutions those candidates seek to serve. But political figures must tread carefully, honoring the day’s meaning rather than using it as a campaign backdrop.

Memorial Day should never become just another stop on the stump speech tour.  

There is a right way and a wrong way to engage in politics on this solemn day. The right way begins with humility—acknowledging that the real heroes are not on the ballot. They are beneath the grave markers, etched in stone, their names inscribed on monuments and in memory. Their sacrifice is the foundation upon which every campaign is possible. Without them, there is no Constitution to defend, no country to lead, no freedom to speak. 

And yes, that includes the freedom to engage in political expression—even on Memorial Day. In fact, one of the most powerful testaments to the sacrifice of our fallen heroes is that we live in a country where peaceful debate, diverse viewpoints, and free elections are not only tolerated, but expected.

It is appropriate to speak about civic responsibility on Memorial Day. It is appropriate to encourage people to vote, to participate in democracy, and to honor the freedoms that were secured at such great cost. What’s not appropriate is turning a solemn occasion into a campaign rally.

There is a difference between presence and promotion. Candidates should be present—laying wreaths, attending ceremonies, thanking Gold Star families, listening to veterans, or any other activity that brings honor and focus to those who gave so much for us. They should not be passing out campaign flyers, planting signs, or delivering stump speeches over bugles playing Taps and folded flags.

Memorial Day demands a kind of politics that is bigger than self-interest. It calls us to remember that every freedom we enjoy—including the right to run for office—is paid for in blood, not slogans.

Let’s encourage our public servants to show up on Memorial Day—not for applause, not for attention, but for gratitude. Let them stand quietly at a gravesite, attend the parade with hand over heart, and speak if called upon—but let their words honor the fallen, not their campaign platform.

This Memorial Day, let politics take the form of patriotism: respectful, solemn, and worthy of those who gave all.

God bless our veterans who have secured our rights.  God bless you.  And God bless America on this beautiful day.