The guns fell silent and World War I ended. Today is Veterans Day and I thought about the horrors those young men and women endured and why we remember them every year. Most of us will never serve, although a goodly number make it their choice and  we honor and admire them. But we can continue to revere what their predecessors died for.

I guess you could say they died for what is known as our way of life. But what does that mean exactly? FDR’s Four Freedoms were freedom of speech and expression, the freedom for everyone to worship God in his own way, freedom from want and freedom from fear.

He put freedom of speech first and for me, I think that is paramount. What we owe to the newspapers, magazines, television reporting and other advocates cannot be overestimated. Because they did not stop, we have awakened from our long public nightmare.

So I want to celebrate Veteran’s Day for all the men and women who preserved our right to speak out, to march, and most importantly, to vote.

And by the way, if you have not subscribed to your local newspaper, please do so.

PS Take a lovely trip to the Four Freedoms Park on Roosevelt Island.

#VeteransDay

#FourFreedomsPark

#WorldWarI