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Honor those who serve
"Some people live an entire lifetime and wonder if they have ever made a difference in the world, but the Marines don't have that problem." -- Ronald Reagan When this quote is expanded to include the Air Force, Army, Navy and Coast Guard, it seems most appropriately to express my feelings toward the extraordinary men and women, past and present, who serve our country. I honor you, I cherish you, and I am so proud of each and every one of you. God speed -- stay safe -- come home to a hero's welcome you all so richly deserve. -- Jacqueline Fries Anchorage Thank a veteran today I find it appalling that the University of Alaska system fails to adequately honor those veterans, past and present, who have continually sacrificed to ensure that the rights of all Americans are protected. The staff, faculty, students and alumni of this university system do not have to agree with politics of current or past administrations but they should recognize the sacrifices of those who protected their ability to disagree, especially in today's world of continuing hardship and extreme sacrifice for our active duty members and veterans. As I heard someone say before, "Honor the person, not the politics." So I would challenge not only those of the UA system but all Alaskans on Nov. 11 to seek out veterans and thank them for their service. Just this simple act recognizing them would be appreciated by all veterans, past and present. -- David R. Chandler Juneau Protecting Christian heritage Today, we as a nation will pause to honor those who fought to protect our country and especially its Christian heritage. As we reflect on the supreme sacrifices our soldiers made for us, we should call to mind the sad fact that we have largely failed in our own duties to be worthy heralds of their distinguished legacy. Symbols such as the Cross, the Ten Commandments, nativity scenes and even the name "God" are being held up to scorn and ridicule. As religious life grows diffident we see the most momentous matters placed among trifles, while trivialities are glorified. Values and norms that held societies together and drew people to higher ideals are laughed at and thrown overboard. Jesus continues to be ridiculed. Where our soldiers fought bravely so that we might have a better future, our generation lacks true concern for the future. This is evident in our overuse of resources, the degradation of the environment, the oppression of women, the neglect of family values, the ignoring of ethical norms and the abandonment of religious traditions. Today let us pause to honor the fallen. Let us also pause to evaluate our own lives -- the Christian lives our soldiers won for us. -- Terry Lucas Anchorage School funding no surprise Friday's editorial regarding school funding inaccurately characterized an Assembly resolution (AR 2009-250), limiting property tax funding for the Anchorage School District, as a surprise. In fact, AR 2009-250, which we co-sponsored and was passed 10-1, was the culmination of more than six months of frank -- and public -- dialogue regarding Anchorage's fiscal climate and how the Assembly and School Board could work together to provide some tax relief. Instead of casting the School Board and Superintendent Comeau as victims, they should instead receive credit for stepping up to the plate and asking for Assembly guidance prior to the commencement of ASD's budget process, which is precisely what the resolution does. We thank our Assembly colleagues for their support and the School District for their input as we all continue to address our fiscal challenges. -- Patrick Flynn Jennifer Johnston Anchorage EDITOR'S NOTE: A correction to the editorial appears today at adn.com/corrections