The problem with Memorial Day.

What Hayes is struggling with is that most of the past 100 years of American wars have been unnecessary and morally dubious.

At Mass today, there was a prayer to honor those that died "protecting our freedom." Well, the tens of thousands of Americans who died in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Panama, Lebanon, Afghanistan and Iraq -- didn't die "protecting our freedom." They died for lots of reasons, some of which are far less noble. But it's pretty tough to reframe the invasion of Iraq as a war for our "freedom."

Where Hayes screwed up is that there's a difference between talking about the larger issue and the personal one.

No one wants to hear that their son died for a war crime.