To the Editor:

I recently received an email regarding the town of Guilderland and the Guilderland Chamber of Commerce’s announcement regarding the Guilderland Hometown Heroes Banner Program, which honors local veterans and military service people.

I would be glad to support an endeavor honoring local heroes but I am truly dismayed when only one segment of the population is eligible for such an honor. 

When are we going to do this for our hero journalists who, especially at this juncture in time, are fighting for our democracy?

When are we going to do this for our teachers who teach democracy to our future citizens?

When are we going to do this for our firefighters who put their lives on the line to save our citizens? 

When are we going to do this for our nurses, our social workers, and our police officers?

When are we going to teach our children they do not have to be a soldier, who in this day and age is being used and abused by a government that often uses them as fodder for personal greed and power neediness, to be a hero?

When are we going to teach them that our highest values are not war, force, imperialism or killing?

We can only do this when we teach them there are many other heroes they can emulate, heroes that contribute to protecting our freedoms in other walks of life.

Isn’t it about time we honored those others with banners, parades, speeches, and words of “thank you for your service?” 

Joan Storey

Guilderland