For most people, war memorials are a place for reverence and respect. For others, they’re a perfect place for playtime.
Matthew Munson was visiting the Vietnam Women’s Memorial in Washington, D.C. when he encountered a family also visiting. And much to his surprise and dismay, the parents told the children to go play on the memorial while they took pictures. As the parents laughed, a group of veterans showed up, and the now-viral photo was snapped. The hurt and anger is evident on the faces of the veterans as they watch the children treating a memorial to women who served in the Vietnam War, some of them dying there, as a jungle gym.
For Munson, the people who should be shamed are the parents, for encouraging their children to have such an appalling lack of respect, saying, “At this point I lean more towards the parents being disrespectful. Certain memorials and statues are more positive and welcoming to kids and parents expressing their freedom and good vibes, other memorials (this one) focuses on the tragedies of war and how certain groups of people played a big role in helping others recover from it. Having children step all over a wounded warrior is not an appropriate way to express the freedom our veterans fought for, in my opinion. I think the parents should have explained to their kids the meaning of the memorial and the heroics of women involved in the crisis, and save the climbing and playing for a jungle gym.”
Children don’t know any better, and that’s why it’s our job as parents to teach them reverence and respect. These parents failed to do that. And they should indeed be utterly ashamed of themselves — for failing to show common courtesy to veterans at a war memorial, for having a sickening lack of respect, and for passing both on to their children.
