“I am a widow of a 100% service connected vet who died at the age of 38, probably from his ground tour in viet nam and agent orange, he gave his life for this country as have countless before him and since. I miss him every day, 20 years later, as due our children who are so like him and don’t remember him. I don’t have answers to this war and our bumper sticker patriots, but one I agree with, freedom is not free. I was listening to opb radio this past weekend and a black woman spoke of her grandmother who was a slave in the south. She had her fingernails pulled out one by one by a store owner because she dared to have nail polish on them. Are we not dealing with and facing the same possible oppression again with the terrorists who commit horrible atrocities in the name of religion? I heard another woman say “if we just don’t make them mad it will be ok” I think each generation, especially this young one, has to face the fact that there is evil in the world and not making them mad isn’t gonna do it. I support out wonderful, brave, patriotic troops, wish there was something I could do to let them know how proud we are and say a prayer for them whenever they cross our minds.”

-Kathy Miller, Brownsville, OR