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Our Opinion: Relax Pennsylvania’s law on marijuana possession

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Food truck festival at PNC Field a hit

<p>I am a 17-year-old who is very proud of this country and what it stands for, and I attend the Forty Fort/Kingston Memorial Day Parade religiously. This year, as always, I had the pleasure of seeing displays of patriotism and gratitude for our nation&#8217;s veterans and active-duty military members.</p><p>That being said, I felt compelled to make some of my unsettling observations known.</p><p>Let me start by saying the Irem Shriners are a staple of our parades in Northeastern Pennsylvania, and its members always have shown their big hearts and seeming patriotism. Unfortunately, over the past several years, the Shriners have had two floats in the parade that have disturbed me greatly.</p><p>The first unsettling float is one containing large flags of all North American countries, except the U.S. flag. There were two small American flags flying below other North American nations&#8217; flags, which is in violation of U.S. flag code. Additionally, our Armed Forces&#8217; flags were flying below the flags of nations such as Mexico, Canada, Cuba, Costa Rica, Dominica and Barbados. </p><p>Memorial Day is intended to honor the deceased members of our nation&#8217;s Armed Forces, not Mexico&#8217;s, not Canada&#8217;s, not Costa Rica&#8217;s. This is a day set aside for those who have paid the high price for freedom with their blood, sweat and tears. </p><p>The second unsettling observation was the Irem Shriners&#8217; &#8220;Oriental Float,&#8221; which features several Shriners dressed in Arabic-style clothing, playing traditional Arabic instruments. The Middle East has been a hotbed of conflict for the United States since the early 1990s, mainly due to the pleas for help from allies or even direct attacks on our nation, such as the events that transpired on Sept. 11. I firmly believe that our nation is built on the principle of being a cultural melting pot. But it appears to be grossly disrespectful to the members of our Armed Forces who have served or are still serving in the Middle East, and their families, to allow a parade float featuring Middle Eastern culture.</p><p>So I have a request for the Irem Shriners. Please consider flying only the U.S. flag on the holiday that is intended to honor those who have died so that each of us may enjoy the freedoms we have today in our country. I also would ask that the Shriners not put a Middle Eastern float in the Memorial Day Parade.</p><p>I write this letter not only because I am a patriotic young person, but also because I believe that no matter what side of the political aisle you stand behind, our Armed Forces, our veterans and our honored dead are truly the representation of what America is all about. They were, are and always will be the pride of our nation.</p><p><strong>Adam McElwee</strong></p><p>Swoyersville</p><style>
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Letter to the Editor: Shriners’ parade floats ill-suited for Memorial Day procession, observer says