Keller @ Large: The Costs Of War, Domestic And Foreign
BOSTON (CBS) -- On a day like this, when we honor our nation's 1.3 million war dead, it gets you thinking about war, and heroism, and how we define both these days.
I see that in Chicago, where homicides are up 52% over a year that was already atrociously bloody, 233 people have been killed so far.
That's about the same daily death rate as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
We don't often think of gang violence as comparable to what goes on in military war zones. But the bloodshed is similar, and the modern-day street gang isn't so different from a local militia or a terrorist cell.
Perhaps because our modern-day wars are all fought overseas, we forget that the second-bloodiest conflict in our history was fought strictly on US soil between Americans.
This hits especially hard because of the proximity of Memorial Day and the funeral on Friday of Officer Ron Tarentino.
Soldiers and police have a lot in common. They are charged with protecting the innocent and preserving order in a world where armed barbarians run loose.
This is a day we hopefully set aside not just to honor our fallen, but to reflect on the costs of war, both domestic and foreign. It saps our resources, sours our dreams, and destroys families.
Every time we lose another police officer or innocent bystander, we all die a little. And in parts of Chicago, they don't need a special day to remember their war dead.
Keep that in mind today, and maybe the somber spirit of Memorial Day will stay with us a little longer this year.
Listen to Jon's commentary
You can listen to Keller At Large on WBZ News Radio every weekday at 7:55 a.m. You can also watch Jon on WBZ-TV News.