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3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Saving soles ... Former TV game-show host Jim Perry dies ... Central Medford celebrates Thanksgiving with dinner, shopping-cart floats ... Saving soles ... Former TV game-show host Jim Perry dies ... Central Medford celebrates Thanksgiving with dinner, shopping-cart floats ... LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters to the Editor, Nov. 26 MailTribune.com Writer Posted Nov. 26, 2015 @ 12:01 am Posted Nov. 26, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> We can and must help Over 40 years ago I was serving as a Marine in Vietnam. One day my platoon was providing security for our minesweepers when we came across what I call a human tragedy: orphans. These children were being taken care of by one elderly woman. I remember a little girl sitting on a rock crying so hard she was shaking. Her little dress was in tatters, she was dirty from sleeping on the ground, and no thongs on her little feet. You knew that among their misery, they were hungry. Every Marine and a Navy corpsman gave them all our lunches. After all, it was Thanksgiving Day back in the World. I do remember how good we all felt that in some little way, we helped. I'm ashamed to admit that over the years I had forgotten that day, until I saw the picture of the little 3-year-old boy whose lifeless body lay face-down at the ocean's edge, trying to reach some sort of freedom from ISIS. In my mind this little boy gave his all and paid the ultimate price. Can't help doesn't apply. We broke it, we bought it. Happy Thanksgiving. Michael A. Long Trail How we can win This letter is in regard to the debate about Syrian refugees. I believe that our country is a nation of immigrants. I think that accepting people in their most dire times of need is a founding principle of America. I cannot think of a better way to fight terrorism and anti-Americanism than to show unconditional love, compassion and goodwill. That is how we can "win" the war; there will be more of us. As far as the possibility that negative people with intent to harm us will come in as well, I feel we have to take the bad with the good. I believe that they are a small percentage. And to let others suffer — women, children, all those caught in the middle of the fighting — is un-American. I believe that we can all forget the rhetoric and look into our hearts and say, there is enough room for you, we can help you to help yourselves and you can join our society and participate in freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom to criticize your government, all of this openly and without the threat of bodily harm. That is how we can win this war of ideas. Carrie Dehart Grants Pass A veteran's Black Friday My nephew, Jeff, is a Vietnam veteran. He served there while they were using Agent Orange. He now has lung cancer, but the government has stopped all assistance for vets who have developed lung cancer from exposure to Agent Orange. He has gone through a series of radiation and chemotherapy here and now has an appointment at the Stanford Clinic in San Francisco on Dec. 4. I tried to make reservations to fly him to SF but they needed additional information. I got the information and went to the airport the next day. I was shocked to find the fare for the three tickets I needed had increased by more than $1,200 overnight! When I asked how that could be, I was told, “We can increase the fare anytime we want for as much as we want.” How can the airlines gouge passengers at their whim? This is truly Black Friday for Jeff and his family. Maxine Curtis Central Point MailTribune.com Writer Posted Nov. 26, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments Terms of Service /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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