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To the Point

Veterans' Day: Just Another Day to Go Shopping?

In the aftermath of September 11, President Bush told Americans to return to business as usual and go shopping. Today Americans have the day off to honor the veterans of past wars and those that are being fought now in Iraq and Afghanistan.

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By Warren Olney • May 12, 2014 • 1 min read

In the aftermath of September 11, President Bush told Americans to return to business as usual and go shopping. Today Americans have the day off to honor the veterans of past wars and those that are being fought now in Iraq and Afghanistan. But since establishment of the all-volunteer service, there’s a disconnect so great that, on Veterans' Day, many civilians don’t even know one. We talk to veterans about why they fight and what it’s like to come home. Should the dead and the wounded be treated as "victims" or heroes who suffered the consequences of their own choices? Is Veterans' Day more than another day to go shopping?

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    Warren Olney

    former KCRW broadcaster

  • KCRW placeholder

    Katie Cooper

    Producer, 'One year Later'

  • Sonya Geis with wavy brown hair wearing a black dress with red accents and decorative earrings against a white background.

    Sonya Geis

    Senior Managing Editor

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    Frances Anderton

    architecture critic and author

  • KCRW placeholder

    Frank Schaeffer

    son of evangelical Francis Schaeffer

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    Phillip Carter

    Center for a New American Security

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    James Joyner

    blogger, Outside the Beltway

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