Heraldnet.com
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2009 12:35 pm
LocalNorthwestNation & WorldPoliticsSpecial ReportsPhotosColumnistsMultimedia 
Herald Editorial Board

Bob Bolerjack,
Opinion Editor
bolerjack@heraldnet.com

Carol MacPherson,
Editorial Writer
cmacpherson@
heraldnet.com


Allen Funk,
Herald Publisher
funk@heraldnet.com

Kim Heltne,
Assistant to the Publisher
heltne@heraldnet.com

Send letters to the editor by e-mail to letters@heraldnet.com, by fax to 425-339-3458 or mail to The Herald - Letters, P.O. Box 930, Everett, WA 98206.

 
WEEK IN REVIEW
Friday
No serious injuries in crash involving Arlingto...
Salish Sea: Huge body of water now has common n...
Cost of dispute falls on Monroe
Thursday


Nursed to health by volunteers in Lynnwood, sea...
Everett boy left with brain damage; father face...
Monroe must fill $290,000 gap in budget
Wednesday


81 veterans' names, 81 meaningful lives honored...
USO singer's voice still charms them in Edmonds
Monroe honking case makes it to state Supreme C...
Tuesday


Fire destroys Emory's restaurant
Peggy Pritchard Olson always put Edmonds first
Camano Island burglaries spike: Is Colton back?
Monday


Tree clearing, mud slide angers Everett neighbor
Later start for school day unlikely in Marysville
Hopes for Snohomish excursion train may hinge o...
Sunday


Glacier Peak freshman overcomes jitters to win ...
Gay marriage issue can wait, say Referendum 71 ...
Cities across south Snohomish County see tax re...
Saturday


Thousands honor slain Seattle police officer Ti...
Suspect identified in Seattle police killing
Mountlake Terrace thrilled by high school's fir...
 

ADVERTISEMENT

Editorials   Print This Article  Email This Page  Subscribe Now! facebook digg reddit del.icio.us fark stumble

 
ADVERTISEMENT

 
HAVE YOUR SAY
Feel strongly about something? Share it with the community by writing a letter to the editor.
You’ll need to include your name, address and daytime phone number. (We’ll only publish your name and hometown.) We reserve the right to edit letters, but if you keep yours to 250 words or less, we won’t ask you to shorten it. If your letter is published, please wait 30 days before submitting another.
Send it to:
E-mail: letters@heraldnet.com
Mail: Letters section
The Herald
P.O. Box 930
Everett, WA 98206
Fax: 425-339-3458
Have a question about letters? Contact Carol MacPherson (cmacpherson@heraldnet.com or 425-339-3472).
 
Published: Tuesday, November 11, 2008

EDITORIAL

Veterans have earned our gratitude, and more

In parades and gatherings throughout the United States today, a grateful nation will say thank you to the military veterans who have served and sacrificed for our freedoms.

Though sincere and heartfelt, such expressions are inherently inadequate. More is owed to our veterans -- and their families, whose sacrifices are too often overlooked -- than we can ever fully repay.

That is why we must try to come close, in our own personal ways as well as in public policy.

We all know veterans, perhaps including some who are serving now. Go out of your way to thank them, not just on Veterans Day, but throughout the year. Thank their families, too, acknowledging the difficult job military spouses and their children have getting through the long, often agonizing periods of deployment.

And we must never forget the more than 20 military members with ties to Snohomish or Island counties who have sacrificed their lives in the ongoing wars in Iraq or Afghanistan -- or those who did so in previous conflicts.

Lawmakers, at the federal and state levels, must keep working to ensure we keep the promises we've made to our veterans, and honoring their service in meaningful ways. That means building on progress that's been made in recent years, like offering significant college tuition discounts to veterans in our state, and full tuition waivers to the spouses and children of veterans killed or totally disabled in action. At the federal level, Congress must keep working to update the GI Bill so veterans have full access to the college education they need to be competitive for good-paying 21st century jobs.

Meeting veterans' medical needs is a promise that must be kept, as is being done with the anticipated opening of a permanent VA clinic in Mount Vernon next year, greatly improving access to care for veterans used to driving all the way to Seattle.

Keeping that promise also means anticipating and meeting future medical needs. In an address during a Veterans Day ceremony at Naval Station Everett on Friday, U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen of Everett noted that the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have yielded a signature injury -- traumatic brain injury -- which the VA must be ready to diagnose and treat. Post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental-health issues will also require concerted attention, given the number of troops who have been deployed to these wars multiple times.

Our veterans have earned our everlasting gratitude, and the tangible benefits that go along with it. They never let us down. As a nation, we owe at least as much to them.

READER COMMENTS
Be the first to comment.
You must be a registered user and verify your e-mail address to post comments to blogs or articles on HeraldNet.

To register, click here. To read other terms and conditions, click hereLog out

1. Lawsuit blames county and weed inspector in man’s death
2. Cost of dispute falls on Monroe
3. Salish Sea: Huge body of water now has common name
4. Mind if I smoke?
5. Boeing says 787 fixes are done
6. Worker dies after falling 4 stories from Lynnwood building
7. FOOTBALL FORECAST: Battle of unbeatens highlights first week of state-playoff action
8. Granite Falls-area fire chief placed on paid leave
9. Everett dentist travels world to help
10. Benefit to help injured soldier, his family
Enterprise Newspaper Snohomish County Business Journal
Memorial for Peggy Pritchard Olson set
Bazaar Fever
Hawks proud of historic season
Olson always put Edmonds first
Honoring student veterans
‘Wheedle' author comes to Lynnwood bookshop
Mavs build early lead en route to easy win
Prep football games of the week (state playoffs)
Tears of laughter, tears of grief
The Enterprise Online Newspaper


$2 OFF
at Box Office

50% off 2nd Pizza
Special Click Here!

Great Food
24 Hours a Day

Family Night Free Sundae
$9.99 Prime Rib

Free Dessert!
Click here!

Pacific Northwest
Fresh Cuisine

$5 OFF
Lunch or Dinner

All you can Eat Buffets
Angel of the Winds

Come and Relax
Monthly Specials

QuadraFire Save $250
Free Smart-Stat

Lube, Oil & Filter
Buy 1 - Get 1 FREE

25% off Bath & Groom
New Customers

Island Flavors with
Finest NW Ingredients

Oil - Snohomish County
Low Prices - Fill Now!

FREE Appetizer w/
purchase of 2 entrees

Free Garlic Bread/Free Soda
Click here for details!

20% Off Dinner
Up to $75 Value!

FREE 6 lb. Pad w/
30yd Carpet Purchase

$5 Off
Stylecut

$1 off French Dip
$4.99 Burger Basket

20% off Click Here*
Buy 1 Offer Click Here*

15% Off Your
First Time Purchase

Buffet Dining
Tulalip Resort

FREE Appetizer with any
purchase daily 2-6pm
TODAY'S TOP JOBS
 View All Top Jobs 
Top Cars
Top Homes

ADVERTISEMENT