One percent of the News and Observer last week (the space taken up by the columns of grumpy old Dennis Rogers and editor Melanie Sill) stressed that Memorial Day is a solemn day for remembering our nation’s war dead. They tell us it should be a day to honor their sacrifices.

The other 99 percent of their paper stressed that the biggest Memorial Day sale ever was taking place now. Full page ads, some cheaply sporting the American flag, screamed that car and furniture prices are slashed this weekend for tremendous savings. I’m sure the N&O wouldn’t debase our heroes’ sacrifices by profiting from the runaway commercialism of this solemn day, would they?

There’s honoring our war dead, you know, and then there’s a sale! You’re not doing your patriotic duty by wandering around some old cemetery. Go out and buy, buy, buy!

It’s the American way, right N&O?

(And yes, I like to trot this out every year.)