Yesterday, the eleventh day of the eleventh month at 11am, in 1918, formal hostilities ceased as the armistice that ended World War I took effect.

In Europe, November 11 is remembered as “Armistice Day,” as the continent pauses to remember the war that devastated so much of its landscape and society.

In America, we have a different name for it. We call it “Veterans Day.” Although many other countries celebrate it in the same way that we do,

I believe that our version is particularly special because we use November 11 to reflect on all of our veterans and the service and sacrifice they have made to protect our freedoms.

As a debater, I am particularly mindful of their sacrifice because debating naturally involves speaking and exchanging ideas. Even though debate is typically a very structured event, the lessons we learn there transfer over into the real world where they can be even more important.

What I’m trying to say is that without the sacrifices that our men and women in uniform have made and will continue to make, things like free speech and the free discourse and exchange of ideas simply wouldn’t be possible.

I understand that this is a very personal example to me and may not apply to everyone, but I would encourage all of you reading this to take a step back and take note of the freedoms that you exercise every day.

Even though you might not be involved in politics or you might not voice your opinion at a town hall meeting, I know that you can find something that you love to do that is in some way guaranteed to you by the sacrifice of veterans.

We like to think that our rights are somehow guaranteed to us by the Constitution or some other legal document or law.

However, the truth is that the only thing the Constitution really protects your rights from is the government or your fellow American citizen.

It’s for what the Constitution can’t protect you from that we have a military. And from this military, the body of our society that is charged with protecting both us and our rights from harm, comes veterans.

These are the people, ladies and gentlemen, who have fought and died to make sure that you and I have the rights that we do. They’ve fought and died so that I can debate; so that we can walk down the street without fear; so that certain members of our society previously denied it now have the right to vote; so that we can all sleep at night knowing that there will always be people to defend us and keep our families and friends safe.

Those who respond to this highest of callings to service are our men and women in uniform today, and those who have served in the past.

They risk and have risked their lives in the name of this calling, and many have paid the ultimate sacrifice. For this, my fellow Bearkats, they deserve our everlasting respect and gratitude.

In other words, I know you’ve heard it before, but whenever you see a veteran, or a current service member, thank them for all they’ve done for you and for us.