Letter: Cherish freedom made possible by others

Sunday was a wet day. It didn’t rain. It was a beautiful Indian summer day — crisp, sunny and clear. It was an NFL Sunday with crowds cheering on their teams, and rightfully so. Some of the teammates chose to take a knee during the national anthem in protest of police treatment of blacks in America. After the game, Russell Wilson defended their right to do so, even though he stayed standing.

Sunday was the 15th anniversary of 9/11, a wet day even though it wasn’t raining. On 60 Minutes a piece aired featuring the “Gold Parents,” so called as a tribute to the loss of their loved ones on that horrible day. There were many tears among them.

So Sunday was a wet day, for the loved ones left behind on 9/11, the families of hate crime victims and the fallen defending our flag. I imagine most tears were shed for the lost as well as for the agony of losing someone. I imagine also that more than a few tears were shed for having the privilege of living in such a great country, with such resilient people and for our right to make choices without retribution.

Russell Wilson made a lot of sense today encouraging us to accept and get along with each other, something unexpected from an NFL player. Regardless, someone will go to bed cold tonight no matter what the consolation. We have our problems, we have people that deserve to grieve the loss of their loved ones, and we can also shed a tear for the freedom we are afforded every day by the sacrifices of others who gave their lives so we can make our own choices.

Greg Murphy

Everett

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