Memorial Day is not just another day off from work. Sacrifice is meaningless without remembrance. Far too often, the nation as a whole takes for granted the freedoms that all Americans enjoy, the freedoms that have been paid for with the lives of brave young men and women from wars of the past and present.

We need to bring honor back in such a way that it becomes trendy again to be proud to be an American and a veteran.

As a former All-American VFW Post commander, I know that on Memorial Day we are assembled to pay a lasting tribute of respect to our departed comrades. When the call of our country was heard, our comrades answered; self and family were forgotten in the cause of the greater good.

As brave men and women, they marched away with the abiding faith in their God, their country and their flag. Now, more than in recent years, the enduring relevance of Memorial Day should be clearly evident considering two wars are under way. The public has no excuse for not remembering.

Dave Olmsted
Woodland

Understanding = recovery

Say “mental illness” and we flash to Sally Fields’ character in “Sybil” or the crazed look on Charles Manson’s face during his sentencing. Television, movies and the news media have created lingering stereotypes. In reality, most mental disorders — including depression, phobias, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia — are manageable. Many recover within a short period with counseling and sometimes medication.

Negative labeling of mental illness is costly. As director of the Mental Health Division of Washington state Department of Social and Health Services and since May is Mental Health Awareness Month, I think this is an appropriate time to discuss it. These misconceptions can create barriers for people who might otherwise seek early help and prevent long-term illnesses. All too often, it costs people jobs.

A number of initiatives are in the works to transform our mental health system to become more focused on prevention, favorable outcomes and cost efficiencies.

Southwest Washington residents can help by developing good coping skills and seeking early treatment for emotional distress. They also can help correct misconceptions and stop labeling mental illness as a taboo subject — or something that is beyond recovery.

Our understanding of, response to and compassion for people with mental illness will lead to an even faster recovery for them as well as result in greater savings to society as a whole.

Richard Kellogg
Olympia

Differences surfacing

There are quickly becoming sharp differences in the way the Republicans and John McCain are going to lead as compared to how Democrats and Barack Obama would lead.

Historical ignorance, denial, and flat out dishonesty have become the hallmark of the Democratic Party and their leader. A sort of communalism or emasculation of society is desired on their part in order to pass an international test, a la John Kerry’s failed pleas from 2004, and also from Neville Chamberlain in 1938, just 24 hours before Hitler invaded Czechoslovakia. “Peace for our time,” was his version of Obama’s, “Hope and change.”

I’m neither too young to remember, nor too old to forget, that the most appeasing, economically challenged, and irresponsible foreign policy president of our time, Jimmy Carter, once asked the American people to “put on a sweater.”

It is becoming very clear that one party wants to kill terrorists, and insists that market forces dictate the economy, while the other party would like the government to “nanny” all Americans, by monitoring their spending and lifestyle, all the while, promising dialogue and appeasement to the same terrorists that want us all dead.

Andy Bremmeyer
Vancouver

Limit our numbers

On May 18, in letters on school bond issues, one reader wrote “Children are the most precious gift we give ourselves.” Another wrote, “as a parent of five children,” while complaining about the crowding in Ridgefield schools. A recent story told about the difficulties a mother of five is having in feeding her children.

Are some people giving themselves too many precious gifts? Here, and in many other parts of the world, human beings are using up food, fuel, forests and space, causing crowding and pollution of land, oceans and air. Yes, children are precious, but the future of the Earth and life upon it depend on limiting their numbers.

Mollie S. Smart
Ridgefield

Distances equal out

I just read with great skepticism the May 20 story, “Is shopping in Oregon really a bargain?” The major fault in the logic is that the author uses a best-case scenario, which assumes that we all live near a Best Buy in Vancouver. This is a ridiculous assumption.

Assuming that the author’s mileage figures are correct (which they are not, except for some very large pickups or very old SUVs), my break even is $12, not the worst-possible-case scenario of $86.40. I live 16 miles round-trip from the nearest Best Buy in Portland, however, I also live 12 miles round trip from the nearest Best Buy in Vancouver. On occasion, I drive a large SUV which gets a rate of 16 mpg, not the author’s 10 mpg.

Using the author’s $3.84 per gallon gasoline cost and the author’s tax rate of 8 percent, my actual calculation is $3.84 divided by 16 mpg times 2 miles (the difference in distances to both Best Buy stores) divided by 0.08. This gives me, personally, a break-even at the nearest Portland Best Buy of $12. For me, if I happen to be passing through Portland near a Best Buy, it makes sense to shop there.

Allen Agnew
Vancouver

Make it our own decision

I applaud Helen Hewitt’s support of Washington State’s Death with Dignity ballot Initiative 1000 in her May 18 letter, “Initiative pursues dignity.” This measure would permit competent, adult Washington residents who are medically predicted to die within six months to request and self-administer lethal medication prescribed by a physician.

Stringent safeguards are included to protect both patient and physician. There must be two oral and one written requests with waiting periods between them, two physicians to diagnose the patient and determine his or her competency, and physician verification of an informed patient decision.

I am impressed that former Gov. Booth Gardner is spearheading this campaign. Though suffering with a chronic incurable ailment himself, it is not fatal and therefore he would not qualify for assisted suicide if it became legal. Nonetheless, his condition led him to support those who want to end long-term suffering and maintain some control over how they die.

It’s my decision, absolutely. And what an appropriate name for the campaign’s Web site, itsmydecision.org. Please look for the petitions and sign within the next month.

Erica Kelley
Vancouver

Attack could come soon

The Press TV online news service (http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=56563&sectionid=351020104) recently ran this story:

“George W. Bush intends to attack Iran within the next few months, before the end of his term,’ The Israeli Army Radio and the Jerusalem Post quoted unnamed Israeli officials as saying on Tuesday.

The officials claimed that a senior member of the president’s entourage during Bush’s trip to the occupied Palestine last week said that Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney believed they should solve the issue of Iran ‘radically and resolutely.’”

If you would prefer that we not go to war with Iran, now would be the time to phone or write your representatives to let them know that.

Perry Callas
Redmond, Ore.