Rep. Kevin McCarthy, House Majority Leader, gives tribute to those who gave it all for our freedoms

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield gives us his weekly view from Capitol Hill. In his own words:

 "We all know the Gettysburg Address: “Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are
created equal.”

 But how often do we think about the rest of the speech? Lincoln ended his address saying:

“The world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here, but can never forget what they did here. It is for us, the living, rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they have, thus far, so nobly carried on. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain; that this nation shall have a new birth of freedom; and that this government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

 On this Memorial Day, we remember our fallen heroes who gave their lives, their “last full measure of devotion,” so that we could remain free, so that the world would not suffer under tyranny, so that our families could remain safe.

 On this bittersweet day, we must remember those who fought and died for us, but we also must honor them by committing ourselves to the future.

 Let us remember that this great country is unique and that we remain a beacon of freedom and hope for the world. Let us remember that we stand for human dignity and our inherent moral equality. And let us never forget that we are exceptional precisely because of the principles that so many of our men and women in our history have died for. As a country, we must live each day for those principles.

Today, we enjoy a long weekend. We probably get to spend a little extra time with our families and friends. We can barbecue, sit in the sun, play some baseball and football, and enjoy all of the little things that we have living in a free and independent nation. But throughout this day and throughout our community, we must remember—we must remember those who gave everything in defense of our nation. We are a grateful community and we must never forget.

 Our nation—and so many other nations—remain free because of our servicemen and our servicewomen. Today and every other day, we must honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice so we can enjoy our freedoms.