It's the quiet that comes with Memorial Day. We are not alone today with family and friends. Today we are accompanied by the ghostly legions of the past. A certain ceremoniousness is in order. And so quiet envelopes us as if it were part of the day's natural order, along with the parades and the patriotic speeches.
Solemnity is in order today, and dignified understatement and simple civility.
Today is a day for cemetery visits, for flowers and prayers and memories. Fireworks are not in order. The deal that allowed Stephen Fagan to get away with kidnapping his two daughters 20 yars ago is a disgrace. It undercuts the real progress women have achieved over the past few years in protecting themselves from abusive men in domestic disputes. Victoria Mathiesen's world is colorful and she's mapped out a future for herself.