Letter to the editor: Upset with the school district’s lack of patriotism

October 19, 2023

Dear Editor,

I would like to comment on our school district’s recent patriotic actions. I come from a military family. I have a brother-in-law who served in Vietnam, a niece and nephew currently in the Navy, and a nephew who served in the Marines. My father served proudly in the Navy. He enlisted but was too young to fight in World War II. Instead, he fought courageously in the Korean War and was honorably discharged after being caught in an explosion that threw shrapnel through his leg, severing the tendons behind his left knee. The surgeons replaced the tendons with a cable so my dad’s leg would not be amputated. Through the early years of their marriage, my mother would pick shrapnel out of his skin as the small sharp pieces worked their way to the surface. My dad also suffered a form of Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. In his training, the armed forces trained their soldiers to grab and restrain anyone who touched them while they slept. You could say, no one in the house wanted to wake the sleeping bear. My father was blessed to have minimal handicap from a very severe, life-threatening injury. However, many of our veterans are not as fortunate. I LOVE that our schools have a purple lined parking spot with a patriotic sign next to the handicap spots at Klager Elementary School, Riverside Middle School, and the Junior/Senior High School to serve our veterans who were handicapped fighting for our freedoms.

Those patriotic signs were taken down this week. Someone in the administration was warned their car would be towed for parking in the wounded veteran handicap parking place. Instead of being humble and accepting they had done wrong, it was decided the wounded veteran signs would be removed. Infuriated Manchester parents saw this and contacted the superintendent immediately with questions. Needless to say, the signs were put back up. It was explained that the purple lines were being repainted. Not sure why the signs needed to be removed for paint to be applied to the asphalt? I sense a cover-up. Once again, instead of apologizing and explaining honestly their actions, they made an obviously fake excuse for removing the signs.

My children say the Pledge of Allegiance every day at school, patriotically expressing their loyalty and honoring our great nation. However, they are just words and theater when the school district removed those wounded veteran signs. It is a slap in the face of every veteran, wounded or not. I do not think I can vote favorably for this bond in the upcoming election. I cannot support this blatant disregard shown to our brave veterans who served our country. God bless them all!

Concerned Patriot,
Laurie Krauss
Manchester Township

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by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and founder of the Manchester Mirror.