Before you head for the lake or the ballgame or the backyard, take some time to reflect and remember the fallen heroes that give us the right to enjoy our time off. We use the word hero in many ways these days...most of them false. Heroes are not ballplayers or singers or actors...heroes are people who run into burning buildings...heroes are teachers in inner city schools saving young people from a horrible cycle of poverty....heroes are soldiers who selflessly give up their lives to save their comrades or fight for what they believe in. On this Memorial Day cheer for Ryan Braun or Mike Richards....raise a cold one while you wet a line....play catch in the backyard with your children...and think of the men and women...some you know...some you are related to...on the job in Iraq and Afghanistan...in Korea and the Balkans...and all the other far-flung problem areas of the world. And remember all of those that have fallen at Bunker Hill and New Orleans...at the Alamo and Bull Run....in Cuba and at Verdun....at Omaha Beach, Iwo Jima, Choson and Hue...and all of the other god-forsaken places that our men and women have served and died for us. and don't forget the wounded....thousands of wounded from our current conflicts . Some will need care for the rest of their lives and we owe it to them not to penny-pinch when it comes to that care. We need to hold our elected officials accountable for their votes on VA funding Will there come a day when our soldiers will not be needed to fight and die? I hope so, but until then it's our duty to care for the wounded and remember the dead. On this Memorial Day you have no more important task.