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Folks,
Thanks to all. I wish I could have had you all there with me. BTW--that's an open invitation for next year & I always have room in the house for friends.
Eric....GREAT picture. It says it all, doesn't it?
I DO need to say that the program is the entire schools', not just Colleen's class. She was very involved, as was the entire staff, but the kids did it. I did forget that the last thing we did was walk about 1/4 mile down the road to the town cemetery where the flag was put at 1/2 mast & words were spoken by their Memorial of Military from Waynesburg killed in each war.
Mike
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This weekend we have the Bolder Boulder. It is an annual event staged around Memorial Day. A race that has world class runners starting off first, followed by anyone who wants to run or walk the course. It ends up in the football stadium, where they stage a Memorial Day event complete with patriotic music, speeches and a jet fly-over. Thousands attend.
This year a local group, "The Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center", have announced that they plan to stage a big anti-Iraq war protest at the event.
My youngest son, who ran this race a couple of times while in high school, is a Marine who lost both legs to a land mine in Iraq this year. I'm hoping he'll compete in the wheelchair part of the race in future years.
So, needless to say, I'm having a real emotional problem with this group. Memorial Day is not about war, it is about warriors. It is about honoring our citizens who have served in our armed forces, defending our country and serving its interests. Protecting a country that allows the freedom to go out and stage a protest at an event meant to honor them.
Yeah, I'm very angry about this situation!!
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Dear oldfrat:
Your post regarding your son deserves more that mere words. Tell him this from me, Thank You. We can never repay either of you the debt we owe. To you, for giving him to us and to him for his sacrifice.
Mark
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Brad,
As touched as I was at the program the 3rd & 4th grade students put on for us, I am upset with the situation you describe. Yes, our country allows demonstrations, but the groups conducting them need to show SOME class & judgement about when & where to stage them. They may be protesting a war with which they disagree, but, in this instance, they are also disrespecting many very fine people, and I have a MAJOR PROBLEM with that! Brad, with your sons' injuries, I'm sure you are extremely upset about this. I have been wondering about you & your son, hoping his spirit is high & recovery is progressing as hoped. Please let us know how he is doing.
Mike
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For those of us who hold this country dear, who still salute the flag and stand when the National Anthem is played, the protesters seem very wrong.
However, we are in the minority. The protesters are the politically correct ones these days. It's not 'cool' to be patriotic or a flag waving American. It is cool to bash the government, the president, the troops, and everything considered to be "american" - and I'm not talking about the terrorists - this is the American major media and print. Why are those groups able to do such a protest? Because no one stops them...that wouldn't be 'politically correct.'
Is it time to stand up and tell those protesters they are wrong and to go home? It's been time for a long time...we've just looked the other way.
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LadyFisher, Publisher of
FAOL
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I got the following in an email today and thought it needed to be shared.
Memorial Day is an act of remembrance to celebrate the lives of those who died and allow us to rededicate ourselves to giving back to America in their memory. This act of National Unity is to honor America's fallen whose gift is our freedom and to help put "memorial" back into Memorial Day.
To help Americans re-educate and remind Americans of the true meaning of Memorial Day, the "National Moment of Remembrance" resolution was passed in December 2000 which asks that at 3 p.m. local time, for all Americans "to voluntarily and informally observe in their own way a Moment of remembrance and respect, pausing from whatever they are doing for a moment of silence or listening to Taps.
I for one still salute the flag and stand when the National Anthem is played.
Rocky
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LF,
Well said!...Maybe we should stage "Pro-America" demonstrations at their gatherings? (although demonstrations have never been my cup of tea).
It's really too bad some folks don't appreciate the rights they have & HOW they got them.
Mike
[This message has been edited by ohiotuber (edited 29 May 2005).]
[This message has been edited by ohiotuber (edited 29 May 2005).]
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Mike,
Evan has been making remarkable progress. He's been walking on his two prosthetics with just a single cane. Arm and hand fully recovered. No vision recovered in right eye.
He'll be having more surgeries soon --a thicker skin graft for one leg and plastic surgery around his eye. But his spirits and attitude remain remarkable. And, to top it off, he just got engaged to a wonderful young woman!
Thanks for asking.
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Thanks Oldfrat,
Your posting is most encouraging. Your
son sounds like an extroidinary young man.
Our thoughts and prayers as well as sincere
appreciation go to this brave young man.
Warm regards, Jim
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Thanks, JC. I was thinking about posting that link, but didn't for reasons you can understand.
My dad was an Army footsoldier in WW-II. Maybe that is why I was rasied to think about Memorial Day the right way.
I have no problem with anti-war protests. Idiots will be idiots.
I have major problems with anti-war protests at Memorial Day observations. This year's Memorial Day means even more to me than the ones before.
Thank heavens I won't be there when they stage their protest in such an inappropriate place and time.. Instead, I'll be on the road on my way to give Evan some help.