Letter: Proud to be an American? Then act like it
Today, in America, we are facing a new age of political discourse and controversial issues within our society. I am not going to address ongoing racism, immigration policies or other well-versed topics of debate.
Instead, there is a very basic issue that is more worrisome and does not receive much recognition. I am addressing the problem that is becoming increasingly apparent as throughout our country: our lack of patriotism. On Veterans Day, there were many veterans who left assemblies in tears, not because of the amount of support or thanks that they received, but rather the amount of disrespect that was openly displayed to them.
This kind of behavior doesn’t seem truly American. Americans are supposed to be proud and stand for liberty, not disregard those who have fought to give us that freedom. In America, there is a growing population of those who hate this country. It is troubling to think that in a nation where our ancestors fought and died for our independence, there are people who are blind to the hardships they faced to gain this degree of freedom.
One question I have to ask is, is anyone still proud to be an American?
Kaylynne Barnes, Kennewick
This story was originally published November 28, 2017 at 3:47 PM with the headline "Letter: Proud to be an American? Then act like it."