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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Archives Revels Classifieds Real Estate Guide Weather Subscribe Contact Us November 16, 2004 Vandalism hurts cause of peace I am a veteran who served during the 1960s in the United States Army Field Artillery as an enlisted man and as a commissioned officer. On Veteran's Day upon returning from attending a peace demonstration in Medford, I was stunned to read in the Tidings about the vandalism to the flag supports on the Boulevard. No longer angry but still sad, I cannot believe that this act was perpetrated by a bunch of kids just blowing off steam. It clearly required efficient planning, coordination and swift execution by a team of probably local residents. This misguided crime was an insult to all veterans but especially to the dead and the maimed of all our wars, both the necessary ones and the mistakes. Not only was it a setback for the cause of peace, it also damaged the reputation of Ashland as a city noted for its tolerance. Ashland police should thoroughly investigate this crime and bring the culprits to justice. Please remember our flag is not a symbol of our government but of our nation and its ideals, which have been attacked and defended over the years in battle, in the courts and the press. Our flag is not a decoration or the private property of those who at present lay siege to our Constitution and freedoms. Pray for peace. Don Morris Ashland Thanks from Michael Moore To all of those vandals who tried to keep the flags from flying, a heartfelt thanks from Michael Moore. W. Bishop Ashland One soldier wonders what happened to home By Pat Gibson Leavenworth, Kan. I was very disappointed to read about the vandalism to the Ashland Kiwanis Club flag holders on Siskiyou Boulevard. I am troubled by what this says about how far some people will go to make their point. This vandalism indicates that our hard-earned freedom of speech has been abused and manipulated by bitter, shortsighted know-it-alls. These people, who howl about the restrictions our government has imposed on them through the Patriot Act, think nothing of denying their own neighbor his or her freedom of speech. These scoundrels argue that they have to deny us our freedom of speech, in order to express their own. Some argue that a radical approach is necessary because there are so few outlets for dissenting opinions. The fact that there are fewer voices in support of a radical opinion should be viewed for what it is - the majority does not support the opinion. What kind of people conducted or supported this kind of vandalism? It is astonishing to me that these vandals believed their acts were righteous. The fact is that some people in Ashland know who did this vandalism and they, too, stand silent. So again, these vandals have silenced another group of voices. Their disgraceful actions have blemished the stand many of our neighbors have taken regarding war, peace and the costs of both. More than 21 years ago, I attended basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., with a cohort of young Oregonians. We were assigned to National Guard units from across the state. We served for our own reasons, but we followed other Americans who had done both great and simple things to advance the cause of our Republic. On Veterans' Day, we honor those men and women. How is it that this simple act has been hijacked by extremists whose radical perspectives would dictate how things should be, who gets to speak and what we will celebrate? I read in the papers that we are a "bitterly" divided nation. Well, there were times when we once could gather and celebrate that which united us. Veterans' Day, Memorial Day, Thanksgiving and the Fourth of July. These celebrations provide us the opportunity to put aside our differences and take stock of what made our nation great. Sadly, in Ashland at least, it seems as if that possibility has slipped away. Some will say that the stakes are too high to put aside differences. My journey as a soldier, one that has taken me all over this great nation and across the globe, allows me to believe that the stakes will never be so high that we can't gather together and celebrate our shared values. Today I serve as an Army officer on active duty. I have been to the Sinai, Panama, Japan, Korea, Afghanistan and Iraq. We are a blessed Nation and the frictions we experience today will ultimately make us stronger; and that is good, because we will need to be stronger as Americans and as a nation. It has been 18 years since I lived in the Rogue Valley, but I still consider it my home. I get back home when time and duty allow and one day I plan to return to the Valley for good. What I read in the paper Friday, or sadly saw during last summer's Fourth of July Celebration in Ashland, leave me wondering what has changed in Southern Oregon. That cohort of Oregonians who served with me 21 years ago deserve better than they got Thursday. The legion of veterans we followed certainly deserved better. I am sure almost all Ashlanders agree on that count. We should consider what we have lost by letting such disobedience work its way into a celebration of the contributions of our veterans. The great veterans we honor served in the hope that every American would have the freedom of speech and expression. We should ask what impact such acts of vandalism have on the serious discussions about where we are now and where we need to go as a nation. The United States Congress on June 4, 1926, invited "the people of the United States to observe the day in schools and churches, or other suitable places, with appropriate ceremonies of friendly relations with all other peoples." Our veterans deserve much better than they got. 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