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Editor:
Colorful Christmas lights lining Main Street reflect in the beautifully decorated storefronts to be enjoyed by all traveling to the local high school. It's Friday night and the high school gymnasium is filled with enthusiastic fans ready for a basketball game between two local rival teams. The pep band prepares to play our National Anthem, the crowd quiets down and the Star Spangled Banner begins. This is a Norman Rockwell moment in the finest form.
Then -- that Americana moment is gone. There, on the shiny basketball court, the cheerleaders stand as if part of a foreign military regime, right arm raised and bent in front of them as if in defiance of our flag. No hands over their hearts, just total disregard and disrespect. It was very disturbing to watch. Do they think they look cool? The basketball players stand in a line, hands at their sides, waiting for the tribute to be over, facing the wall, not even turning to face our flag. What is going on?
Have they been instructed to act that way? Where are the parents? It was obvious they have not instilled in these young people what our flag means. What about the teachers or the coaches? But then, many of the adults in attendance chose not to cover their hearts or even remove their ballcaps. Who allows this type of contemptible behavior to develop to this point?
Maybe a field trip should be arranged for these "cool kids" to travel to a VA hospital to talk with veterans about the sacrifices they made for our country. The brave men and women who have served our country to keep it free did so out of love of our country and to preserve our freedoms for the younger generations. How do you think they would feel seeing the young people act this way?
How about a solemn walk through a cemetery on Memorial Day and pause at those graves with flags symbolizing what was and should be important to every American.
How many veterans' hearts were disappointed at that basketball game?
It is very sad that our young people are not being taught what our great country is all about. We are the land of the free because of the brave. It's time for respect for our flag and honoring our country to be "cool" again for everyone.
Joyce Allcorn
Columbiana