Letter to the Editor

Will the United States survive another 240 years?

Friday, April 8, 2016

Dear Editor,

I wonder. It seems the national flag is at half-staff more than it is flown at the peak of the pole. Does the nation mourn for the actions of terrorists which result in numerous deaths of the innocent, or does our president mourn for the suicide bombers who seem to be his fiends?

Several American soldiers die in firefights in foreign countries and I can't recall our flag being at half-staff for them.

I almost chuckle when I see the flag at half-staff and the state flag and the bank's colors are at half-staff also.

Is there a protocol for lowering those flags to half-staff? Do we mourn for the state and the bank?

I suggest removing all other flags and focus on our national flag.

I wonder. Why is the TV show "The Big Bang Theory" aired on NBC five days a week while Christian programs are aired late night/early morning and on Sunday with competition with pro-sports or other popular shows?

I wonder. Why does NBC air "chiller" movies (before the 10 p.m. news) with scenes depicting zombie/persons being beheaded? Then I see on another channel where the Saudis are beheading their citizens for minor infractions of their laws. Are we desensitized by what we see in fantasy that we are numb to what is going on in reality? The U.S. will not stand up to the Saudi government because our president will be friendly to that government at all cost. (our friendship will help keep oil and gas prices low.)

I wonder. Why were Vietnam veterans invited to a 50th year of the war program at the 20th Century Veterans Memorial in North Platte recently? I calculate 50 years ago to be 1966 and I can't recall that year to have been the start of something new to the war effort except for my being in boot camp that year.

Surely the program wasn't for me/1 I do feel that being fit to serve my country was important to me then as a 17-year-old.

There were many years, after receiving a medical discharge from the Navy, that I thought my service to this great country was in vain. However, now that I'm older and a bit more mature, I feel it was in God's plan for me to undergo the service experience.

Whatever we celebrated at the Veterans Memorial does matter and I will never forget that day because the Mayor of North Platte gave me a pin to wear on my cap. I wear the pin as a reminder of those who died so I could live in this country where freedom is sacred. The pin reminds me that now is my turn to pay-it-forward, to help other veterans and residents of this city.

I wonder. Who will I vote for in this year's presidential race?

In 1965, Bill Long of Grant, Neb., preached one Sunday at the Wallace Methodist Church and he said that governments usually last under 200 years and that the government of the United States would be 200 years old in 11 years.

The U.S. is now 240 years old. What we need as a president for 2017 and forward is a God-fearing man that will consider the U.S. Constitution to be again as strong and viable as it was 240 years ago.

I wonder. Will this letter be published in any newspapers?

David C. Olson

20th Century Veterans Memorial

Disabled American Veterans Chapter 3

North Platte, Neb.

Comments
View 1 comment
Note: The nature of the Internet makes it impractical for our staff to review every comment. Please note that those who post comments on this website may do so using a screen name, which may or may not reflect a website user's actual name. Readers should be careful not to assign comments to real people who may have names similar to screen names. Refrain from obscenity in your comments, and to keep discussions civil, don't say anything in a way your grandmother would be ashamed to read.
  • I'm pretty sure the Vietnam war was going on in 1966 - since I was there part of that year. Also,our division had been there quite a while before I got there.

    -- Posted by bob s on Fri, Apr 8, 2016, at 3:35 PM
Respond to this story

Posting a comment requires free registration: