Driving through the Tri-Cities this time of year, I can't help but notice the attention, effort and expense people put into their Halloween decorations. Inflatable ghosts and pumpkins, coordinated light and sound displays, temporary graveyards, skeletons and other creatures adorn house after house. I also can't help but notice the same houses where so much effort goes into decorating for this "holiday" often fail to display an American flag on national holidays and days of observance.

Hours and hours of work and who knows who much money can be dedicated to a single day recognizing costumes and candy, yet so many people cannot pay tribute to their nation, its ideals and the service of current and past heroes on multiple occasions throughout the year. A mere $15 and a whole 30 seconds of work gets the job done just like that!

I hope someday to see a majority of people care as much about displaying their patriotism and pride in their homeland as they do in competing in the apparently popular (yet unofficial) contest of having the best decorated Halloween household.

Priorities differ from person to person, but I'm hoping for a shift toward a more reasonable and respectable use of people's attention and efforts in the future.

NICHOLAS WHITE, Pasco