Nov 27, 2016 2 min read

I sat down for a good cup of coffee Nov. 20, and, as always, opened my Observer-Reporter to the opinion page.

What struck me were the outrageous comments by two letter writers. The first letter was “Ashamed to be an American,” and the second was “When was America ever great?”

What in the world are they thinking? They have the luxury of expressing their opinions. They have the constitutional right to elect leaders, without being persecuted or prosecuted. They have the right to practice their faith without ridicule and condemnation. They have the right to educate their children without the threat of death or dismemberment. They have the right to demonstrate without the threat of death. They have the right to participate in collective bargaining, again without the threat of being killed or being sent to some godforsaken place like Siberia.

Here’s a suggestion: Ask your fathers, uncles, or grandfathers who served their country in places like France, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, or Afghanistan if they are “ashamed to be American”? Better yet, ask them if they’d do it all over again.

One last suggestion: If they think there’s a better country than the United States, by all means they should feel free to leave. If they need a ride to the airport, I’ll be happy to oblige.

Barry L. Andrews

Washington

Andrews is the retired president of the Washington-Greene Central Labor Council.