“They gave their lives. You get 15% off patio furniture.”
— Wing

Memorial Day, 2023.

For some, it’s the quietest morning of the year. Flags at half-mast. Graves visited. Names whispered.

For others, it’s promo code: FREEDOM23.

🎖️ What It Was Supposed to Be#

Originally called Decoration Day, it started after the Civil War—families placing flowers on graves. It wasn’t fireworks and grilling. It was silence. Stillness. A long look at the cost of conflict.

By 1971, it became a federal holiday.
By 1999, it became a three-day weekend.
By 2023, it became another campaign.

🛒 What It Became#

Inboxes flooded with:

  • “Celebrate Memorial Day with BIG SAVINGS!”
  • “Freedom never looked this good—shop now!”
  • “Honor the fallen… with 0% APR.”

Brands slapped camo on soda cans.
AI-generated banner ads showed pixelated soldiers and fireworks—sometimes in the same frame.
One retail bot-generated tweet literally read:

“Let us remember the brave… with unbeatable mattress deals!”

The algorithm doesn’t grieve.
It just optimizes.

⚰️ What We Forgot#

Behind all the BBQs and blowouts are headstones.

Real ones.

  • 18-year-olds who didn’t come home.
  • Parents who never got closure.
  • Medics who carried guilt for decades.
  • Friends who learned that silence doesn’t always mean peace.

Memorial Day isn’t for soldiers.
It’s for the dead.
And what we owe them is not a discount code.

🧓 Wing’s Retro Gripe#

In the ‘90s, even the corny car commercials had some restraint.
A trumpet solo. A grainy photo montage. Maybe too sentimental, sure—but it came from people.

Now?
It’s SEO keywords and auto-generated visuals.
Even the grief feels synthetic.

🙏 So What Do We Do?#

You don’t have to skip the barbecue. Or mute the fireworks.

Just carve out space.
For memory.
For silence.
For something that isn’t monetized.

And if a sale ad pops up in your feed, ask yourself:
Who benefits from that discount?
Because the fallen never will.

💬 Remember someone this year? Know a family that still bears the loss? Tell their story. Let’s make memory stronger than marketing.