Letters to the Editor Policy
South County Newspapers welcomes letters to the editor of local and general interest to our readers. Letters must be 400 words or fewer, typed and should include the writer’s first and last name, home address and phone number for verification. No anonymous letters will be printed. Letters may be edited for length, clarity and libel. Send letters via email to Ed****@So*******************.com, or they can be mailed or dropped off to 522-B Broadway St., King City, CA 93930.
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Memorial Day ceremonies
The South County Newspapers team is to be commended on their issue of Wednesday, May 30, the Memorial Day issue, if you will; the photos and accompanying words from each community’s commemoration ceremonies were both well chosen for the story they told. And, one remembers that news people work lots of holidays, and we thank them for that.
As a participant in the ceremonies in Greenfield, I would like to use your public forum to address the citizens of Greenfield regarding future Memorial Day activities.
Greenfield is the only Valley town to have two cemeteries within its district, and historically Holy Trinity Cemetery in town is predominantly Catholic, whereas the Oak Park Cemetery, the older of the two, is predominantly Protestant. As such there are two ceremonies held every year, and both contain the reading of the veterans interned in the respective cemetery.
In 1963 I was asked to recite the World War I produced poem “In Flanders Fields” at each of the ceremonies and it is an act I have repeated many times over the succeeding years; for the past two years I have also read the list of veterans interned and have considered both as an honor.
But, it is now my hope that for next year’s Memorial Day ceremonies that the mantle will be passed on to the youth of Greenfield. This year’s salute by the scouts under the tutelage of Tom Brown and “Taps” trumpeted by Carla Sanchez were examples of young people exposed to what is a national emotion: remembering those who served that others can live free of tyranny and despotism.
Perhaps a local scout troop or church youth group could take up the mission to learn the poem and its history, master “Taps” and read the names of the service people no longer with us. It is a busy end-of-the-year time for the schools, but with some pre-planning I’m sure it could be applied to students’ community involvement requirement. If this interests you as an instructor or administrator, cut this letter out and tape it to your refrigerator until fall sessions.
And, it should be noted that Greenfield’s veterans repose in very nice surroundings, with well kept lanes and growing grass and as weedless, and any plots can be given the limited resources for the two cemeteries. For a score of years Manual Mireles has maintained these two properties and should be commended for his dedication making honored grounds so attractive.
Steve Wilson
King City
Beacon of freedom
My wife pointed out that my use of “fallible humans” is almost redundant. For me “almost” is pretty good. I have made reference to our Declaration of Independence as being our country and birth certificate, written by fallible human being.
What a document! This statement about the equality of individuals whatever their race, creed or origin; the guarantee of individual rights to equality and liberty is unprecedented in human history.
Because of our founding fathers’ view of their citizens, the words “white,” “black,” “male,” “female” and “slave” do not appear in our Constitution. Yet, Americans used our Constitution to end the evil of slavery, over 350,000 union soldiers paid in blood. The Cherokee tribe was divided between the north and the south. After the battle of bloody Pea Ridge, some came home, many did not. They were still talking about it when I was a child.
Most importantly, they recognized that our inalienable rights (not given by man) were given by our Lord.
Our history shows us that most problems can be worked out when we use our Constitution and our Declaration of Independence as our principles of life.
What set me to thinking about the way our country is going are the issues of “identity politics” and something called “social justice.” Oh well, I hope for the sake of our kids, eventually common sense will prevail.
J.J. Burnes
King City
