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| Letter to the Editor |
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| Opinion | |||
| Written by Staff | |||
| Wednesday, 15 July 2009 08:00 | |||
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Dear editor, I have always been proud to be a citizen of this community. But, what I observed at 6 p.m. July 9 made me so ashamed of some people in this community. My daughter and I were coming home from being out of town, and in the 900 block of Main Street, there laid an American flag right in plain sight on the road. It had come down off the light pole — holder and all — and landed in the street. People were just driving on it like it was just an old rag. I stopped my truck with my hazard lights on and got out to get it. You could tell passing motorists were a little upset because I was not letting things run smoothly on Main Street. I took the American flag to the police station. My heart broke when I observed what was going on, and tears came to my eyes as I thought to myself what our veterans and what our service men and women are doing and have done for us. And some people of this community were treating the American flag like it was nothing. Have we become a community that is so desensitized that we do not care what others have done for us? When you show that much disrespect, you may as well as just walk up to our service men and women and spit in their faces or just hit them right in the stomach. They give up so much for us to be free and stay at home in the safety of our homes and communities. If you are sitting there thinking, “well they have life easy for them,” let me tell you it is not. They give up their warm beds and nice homes and all the holidays with family and friends, the special times with them and the memories they will never be a part of. What about the moms or dads who are missing their child’s first words and steps and that school program or ball game? The birthday parties and the long, sleepless nights they give up to stand watch to keep you and me safe? When you get sick or just do not feel like going to work, you can call in — they do not have that luxury. These are just a few of the things they give up for us, yet a few people in this community have the nerve to treat the American flag and what it stands for the way they did Thursday. So, the next time you treat the American flag with disrespect, like leaving it laying on the ground or not putting a light on it when it is flying at night or not taking your hat off when the flag goes by or putting your hand on your heart — or talking during the American flag salute — think about what was given up for us. Remember you are spitting in our service men’s and women’s faces and saying you do not care that they have done and what they are doing for us! And, if you see someone doing this, please walk up and tell them how disrespectful they are being. I know I have never been afraid to say something to someone when they are being disrespectful. Remember, others are watching, and we can lead by example and we can be the first ones to do the right thing. I hope and pray that the city did the right thing and retires the flag, since it had been on the ground, and I hope they put up a new one. I hope and pray I will see a new pride in our community that I want to be proud of once again. A proud military mom, Kristy Fox Osawatomie
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