Thread by @RealSpikeCohen

1,186,000.

That is the number of US military personnel who have died at war.

Today is Memorial Day, a day for us to remember and honor those who have fallen.

Let's truly honor them by ending the wars that are sending more to join them.

For many, this is a day for cookouts, fireworks, vacations and spending time with loved ones.

For some, this is just another day to mourn their lost spouse, parent, child, sibling, friend.

Let's be very clear: the best way to honor them is to stop more families from suffering.

Millions of Americans, some of the best salt-of-the-earth people in this country, swear an oath to support and defend the Constitution from all enemies, foreign and domestic. They join to protect Americans and our freedoms, with promises of financial and educational support.

Instead, they are sent overseas by domestic enemies to fight, and possibly to die, to protect foreign dictators, cartel bosses, central bankers, and defense contractors.

Back home, we are less free, less safe and more at risk of blowback.

Most of our loved ones come home, often with PTSD, traumatic brain injuries, chronic pain & other ailments. They're subjected to the worst healthcare system in America, they suffer some of the highest rates of poverty, homelessness, imprisonment, addiction, overdose & suicide.

They signed up to protect us, and our government used them and spat them out to rot.

But today is about the ones who came home in flag-draped caskets.

They signed up to protect us, and never made it back.

Their loved ones have to find a way to move on with their lives, always aware of that giant void of their loss.

And the monsters who sent them to die wave little flags & make pandering statements about how "some gave all", while they send the next batch of victims off.

Enough.

I've heard from countless active duty personnel, veterans, and families who've lost their loved ones, and they have all asked the same thing: please demand an end to the wars.

Bring them home, for good.

On this Memorial Day, enjoy time with your loved ones, remember those who can't join us, & commit yourselves to demand our government end the wars & bring the troops home.

1,186,000 is far too many already. Let's put an end to it now, & honor the fallen by reclaiming the living.

NOTE: 1,186,000 is a conservative estimate, based on the lowest number of possible Civil War deaths.

Some estimates have the total number as high as 1.5 million.

Whatever the number, it's far too high, and it's long past time to stop adding to it.

"I know that these people were gaslighted and sent to die by powerful people who send more to die every day, but this should be a day to just be sad it happened, not to point out why it's happening and call for it to end."

Nah.