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Miami Herald
27-05-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
What is the purpose of Memorial Day? Answers vary greatly by age, new poll finds
For many Americans, Memorial Day is not what it used to be, according to new polling. In a Savanta survey, a majority of respondents, 52%, said the holiday — observed on the last Monday in May — 'has lost its original meaning.' However, 60% still said that Memorial Day is primarily about honoring fallen service members, though opinions varied greatly based on age. A large majority of those aged 60 and above, 76%, said honoring fallen soldiers is the main purpose of the holiday. Meanwhile, just 48% of 19- to 27-year-olds said the same. This disparity 'isn't entirely surprising,' according to Savanta, as younger generations are further removed from major wars, like World War II. Additionally, responses diverged by geographic region. A majority of respondents from the South, 63%, said Memorial Day is primarily about honoring soldiers, while just 48% of those in the Northeast said the same. A disproportionate share of U.S. service members come from the South, with the highest share from South Carolina, according to an analysis from Brown University's Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs. Further, 40% of respondents said they 'look forward to reflecting on the purpose of the day,' and 62% said they think the holiday 'brings people together, regardless of background or beliefs.' The poll — which sampled 1,002 U.S. adults and has a margin of error of 3 percentage points — also asked respondents about how companies should handle the holiday. Fifty-one percent said they would prefer companies to donate part of their sales to veterans — as opposed to offering 'traditional discounts.' And 64% said they are more likely to buy from businesses owned by veterans. Nearly half of respondents, 48%, said 'brands and influencers should stay quiet on Memorial Day unless they're clearly acknowledging the military or the meaning behind the day.' And, when asked about how they will celebrate, most said they'd eat burgers (61%), while fewer chose hot dogs (50%) and potato salad (46%). However, many indicated they are feeling financial stress around the holiday, with just 22% feeling financially optimistic as summer kicks off. And most said they would keep any holiday travel affordable, with 45% staying with family or friends and just 18% staying at resorts or hotels. History of Memorial Day Memorial Day dates back over 100 years, with its roots in the Reconstruction Era. 'In the waning years of the Civil War (1861–1865) and immediately afterward, communities in the North and South, Black and White, decorated soldiers' graves with floral honors on springtime 'decoration days,'' according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The holiday, officially instituted via a 'Memorial Day Order' in 1868, was designated a national holiday in 1971. For decades, most presidents have observed Memorial Day by participating in ceremonies that honor fallen soldiers. In recent years, most have traveled to and given speeches at Arlington National Cemetery, located outside of Washington, D.C., the nation's largest military grave site. This year, in addition to delivering a speech, President Donald Trump wrote a lengthy post on Truth Social, in which he attacked his adversaries. 'HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY TO ALL,' he wrote, 'INCLUDING THE SCUM THAT SPENT THE LAST FOUR YEARS TRYING TO DESTROY OUR COUNTRY THROUGH WARPED RADICAL LEFT MINDS, WHO ALLOWED 21,000,000 MILLION PEOPLE TO ILLEGALLY ENTER OUR COUNTRY…'
Hindustan Times
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Rahul's apology for 1984 riots ‘hypocritical and meaningless', says Sukhbir
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Monday termed leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi's apology over the 1984 Sikh riots as 'hypocritical and meaningless words.' Responding to a question on the 1984 riots and the Congress' relationship with the Sikh community, Rahul, during an event in the US, had said a lot of the 'mistakes' the party committed happened when he was not there but added that he was 'more than happy' to take responsibility for everything wrong it did in its history. The remarks by Gandhi were made on April 21 during an interactive session at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs at Brown University in the US. The video of the interaction was uploaded on the YouTube channel of the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs on Saturday. Reacting sharply to Rahul's response, Sukhbir said that the reported words of the Congress leader flew in the face of his insensitive conduct towards the Sikh sentiments. 'Rahul must first answer the fundamental questions. Why does the Congress still continue not only to shield but also to reward killers of thousands of innocent Sikhs with plum posts in the party? Is he really not aware of who is responsible for the genocide against our community in 1984? Sukhbir said. Referring to Rahul's claim that he was a minor when his party and his ancestors perpetrated these crimes against the Sikhs, the SAD president said, 'True, he was a minor then. But he is 55 now. Why has it taken him all these 35 years just to start talking about his predecessors' and his colleagues' sins against Sikhs?' Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal also condemned Rahul for refusing to offer an unequivocal apology to the Sikhs.
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Business Standard
05-05-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Rahul Gandhi backs Trump's tariff stand, says India must negotiate firmly
Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has said that US President Donald Trump is within his rights to push for changes in the tariff structure, and India should respond by negotiating confidently to secure a fair deal. Gandhi made these remarks on April 21 during an interactive session at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs at Brown University in the United States. The video was uploaded to the YouTube channel of the Watson Institute on Saturday. Commenting on Trump's approach, Gandhi said, 'Donald Trump is negotiating, and he is well within his rights to negotiate. We should negotiate right back.' When asked about the Indian government's response to the US tariff demands, Gandhi said, 'We don't know how it is responding because they [the government] don't tell us these things.' He further said that India needs to build a strong production system to compete with China and to create jobs. He stressed that this cannot happen without a liberalised economy. 'India is not going to be able to do that without a liberalised economic system. Anybody who talks about social progress and weakening caste structures also has to accept that you need money to do that. And the only way you are going to make money is by having a production system and by having an open liberalised economy,' he said. He also highlighted the potential of an India-US partnership in manufacturing. 'A partnership between India and the US on manufacturing and developing a strategy on manufacturing in a democratic environment is something that could be very powerful,' Gandhi said.
Time of India
05-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Trump within his rights to negotiate on tariff, India capable of working out decent deal: Rahul Gandhi
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has said that US President Donald Trump is well within his rights to state that he wants to change the tariff structure, and India must negotiate right back as it is more than capable enough of working out a decent deal. Gandhi made these remarks on April 21 during an interactive session at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs at Brown University in the US. The video of the interaction was uploaded on the YouTube channel of the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs on Saturday. #Pahalgam Terrorist Attack Inside Operation Tupac: Pakistan's secret project to burn Kashmir Who is Asim Munir, the Zia-style general shaping Pakistan's faith-driven military revival 'Looking for partners, not preachers': India's strong message for EU amid LoC tensions Gandhi shared a video montage from the interaction and said in a Facebook post on Monday, "India has the scale and the skill. What we need now is a clear vision - to build, to lead, and to show the world that democracy and manufacturing must go hand-in-hand to power the future. Time to move from potential to direction." Speaking at the interaction last month, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said the biggest challenge in front of India today is to create a production system to compete with the Chinese, its manufacturing and creation of jobs. GIF89a����!�,D; 5 5 Next Stay Playback speed 1x Normal Back 0.25x 0.5x 1x Normal 1.5x 2x 5 5 / Skip Ads by "India is not going to be able to do that without a liberalised economic system. Anybody who talks about social progress (and) weakening caste structures also has to accept that you need money to do that. And the only way you are going to make money is by having a production system and by having an open liberalised economy," he said. Asked about his views on Indian government's response to President Trump's tariff move, Gandhi said, "We don't know how is it responding because they (the government) don't tell us these things." Live Events Donald Trump is negotiating, and he is well within his rights to negotiate, Gandhi said, adding that "we should negotiate right back." "We should understand what our strengths are, (and) what we need, and we should not compromise in areas that are detrimental to us. He (Trump) is well within his rights to say that he wants to change the tariff structure, and it's a negotiation; it's fine. I think we are more than capable enough to negotiate ourselves a decent deal," he said. The US and India need to show how they can produce effectively in a democratic environment, he said. "A partnership between the India and the US on manufacturing and developing a strategy on manufacturing in a democratic environment is something that could be very powerful," Gandhi said.
Mint
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Mint
‘Bachpana' or ‘saaf dil ke neta'? BJP, Congress ally react to Rahul Gandhi's ‘what happened in 80s was wrong' remark
Responding to a question on the 1984 riots and the Congress' relationship with the Sikh community, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said a lot of the "mistakes" the party committed had happened when he was not there. Gandhi, however, said he was "more than happy" to take responsibility for everything wrong the Congress did in its history. Rahul Gandhi made the remarks on April 21 during an interactive session at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs at Brown University in the US. The video of the interaction was uploaded on the YouTube channel of the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs on Saturday. A clip from the interview was widely shared on social media. In the video, Rahul Gandhi could be heard saying, 'As far as the mistakes of the Congress party are concerned, a lot of those mistakes happened when I was not there, but I am more than happy to take responsibility for everything that the Congress party has ever done wrong in its history.' "I have publicly stated that what happened in the 80s was wrong, I have been to the Golden Temple multiple times, I have an extremely good relationship with the Sikh community in India and a loving relationship with them," the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha was quoted by news agency PTI as saying on May 4. Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) IT Department head Amit Malviya posted the viral clip on social media X on Saturday. He captioned the video as: "'You haven't reconciled with the Sikhs', a young man tells Rahul Gandhi to his face, reminding him of the unfounded fearmongering he engaged in during his last visit to the US." "It is quite unprecedented that Rahul Gandhi is now being ridiculed not just in India, but around the world," Malviya said. Meanwhile, Maharashtra minister Pratap Sarnaik contended that if Rahul Gandhi is seeking "forgiveness for something that happened in 1980, it shows his bachpana [immaturity]...: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut reacted to Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's comments on 'Operation Bluestar" and said, "Rahul Gandhi is a politician with a clean heart [saaf dil ke neta hai]. We have seen that he accepts his mistake. We are fortunate that such a leader is there in our country." "In politics, it is a big thing to accept a mistake. PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah should learn to accept mistake and move ahead from Rahul Gandhi," Raut said. The Indian Army's 'Operation Blue Star' began on June 1, 1984. The operation was carried out to remove Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, who had taken shelter in the Harmandir Sahib Complex (Golden Temple) in Amritsar, Punjab. Jarnail Singh Bhindranwal had called for the creation of a separate Sikh state of Khalistan. The operation, which was approved by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, had a massive repercussion, leading to violent religious clashes. The operation was ordered by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and took place from June 1 to June 10, 1984. First Published: 5 May 2025, 02:27 PM IST
