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Mike Moser A salute to military:
Good idea for readers There is a quote relating to the best laid
plans of mice and men, and we at the Crossville Chronicle
often take the liberty of applying it to newspapers, especially
ours. The quote rests right beside Murphy's Law. So it was when someone pitched an idea to
us that we provide some forum for saluting veterans and those
presently in the military following the World Trade Center and
Pentagon attacks of Sept. 11 and the resulting call to arms by
President George W. Bush. With patriotism at a fever pitch and people
searching for a way to express themselves on the issues of God
and country, we decided that this idea was a good one. We always
listen to our readers when they pitch ideas to us, and we try
to weigh the pros and cons before we jump into a new program
or project. On this case, we thought we had touched all
the bases and this was something we should do. We announced the
Salute to the Military in a house ad in the Chronicle
and immediately got responses. Some readers immediately sent
in photos and their $4 to our office. But two folks, both stating they were veterans,
took us to the verbal shed and chastised us for being capitalistic,
accusing us of taking advantage of veterans and for the simple
fee. One old salt even viewed our idea of the nominal fee as
unpatriotic. Obviously, we had not foreseen such a reaction
and were addled by the comments. So, being sensitive to the feelings
of our readers, and specifically our veterans and those now serving
in the military, we thought it best to cancel the project. Then came reaction from those who liked the
idea. When we told one wife of a military veteran why we were
refunding her money, her response was simply, "Oh, bull!" So, there you have it. Two adverse reactions
to a submitted idea we thought was a good one. Cumberland County is losing World War II veterans
every day. Most of us will never appreciate the sacrifices these
men and women made on behalf of the rest of us. Same with veterans
of that forgotten war in Korea, and the Vietnam veterans, many
of whom never heard a thank-you. As for the fee, readers can't even purchase
a classified ad for that amount. What else can you buy these
days for $4, yet alone an opportunity to make a public and lasting
tribute to a real hero? After much discussion in our weekly department
head meeting, the Chronicle has decided to abandon the
idea of having a page saluting veterans and military personnel,
and instead institute an open policy of allowing military families,
past and present, to salute their veterans whenever they want.
The upcoming Veterans Day, Memorial Day, wedding
anniversaries, birthdays, Armistice Day, whatever and whenever,
readers will be able to simply come by and, for the handling
fee of $4, salute their beloved veteran or serviceman. No campaign. No promotion. No pressure. It
is just a readership service we will provide. We will have a form for readers to fill out,
or they can simply jot down the military veteran or personnel's
name, branch of service and rank, medals and/or honors, wars
or conflicts served and be sure and include a phone number in
case we need additional information. You can mail these in and stop by our office at 125 West Ave. We want to be able to participate in this salute if you, our readers, want to do this. As for those who feel this is mercenary, all we can do is quote a loyal reader and say, "Oh, bull!" · · · |