Honor and Sacrifice

In Maine the flags are lowered at half-staff each time a Maine soldier is buried.

If lowering flags to half-staff to honor Virginia Tech deaths was appropriate. it is much more appropriate to render the same honors to recognize service member deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Let's lower all flags to half-staff until deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan stop.

Larry Harris

I've wondered too, why doesn't the country feel some empathy for the solders who are wounded or killed. I'm sorry about the students at Virginia Tech, but much sorrier for the soldiers wounded and killed in Iraq & Afghansistan.

And last, we would like to ask that you request all of our American Flags to be flown at half-mast until our soldiers come home. This will show the families that have lost a loved one during this war and the soldier who gave his life the respect they deserve from the American people and the leaders of our country.

Sincerely,
Your Fellow Americans

I understand that it would be hard to keep lowering the flag every time a service man or women is killed but I have a suggested solution to this. I think that the flag should remain at half mast until all of our service people are home from the war. I don't mean to take away any respect for those people who were killed at VA Tech but our service people are risking their life every single day.

I've wondered too, why doesn't the country feel some empathy for the solders who are wounded or killed. I'm sorry about the students at Virginia Tech, but much sorrier for the soldiers wounded and killed in Iraq & Afghansistan.

I think it's outrageous that our soldiers aren't honor publicly by this administration so that they can keep a positive spin on the war. If those who come home can be honored I think it's only fair that they and their families also have that honor. This administration only cares about the spin! It's disgusting!!

I always fly my flag and put it at half mast when requested. Our govenor (Nebraska) and mayor (Omaha) request half mast every time a service man or woman is killed. Every state should do this or all flags should be flown at half mast until the war is over and our people come home.

Everyday across every military installation that has soldiers or airmen deployed, the flags are lowered to half staff for those killed. Everytime my husband and his friends were deployed, I would dread driving by our division offices knowing that the flag could and would be lowered. The only Americans who seem affected by this are servicemember's families. It seems that America has forgotten us.

Thank you so much for the above story.
As a wife of a soldier currently serving in Baghdad, I was so angry last week at the attention those who died at Virginia Tech were getting, while the plight of our soldiers is virtually ignored by those not directly affected by the war.

I thought there was something wrong with me for feeling that way. Glad to see I wasn't out there with my feelings. And glad to see a media outlet pick up on how those who die in this war are often just passed over and quickly forgotten, instead of receiving the attention their deaths deserve.

I deem it a slap in the face of military members who die in their country's service without any flags placed at half mast; yet civilians are shot to death by a crazed gunman and it's treated like a national tragedy.

It is true that only those serving in the Middle East and their families and friends suffer. Most of us go about our lives -- going to work, going out for dinner, running errands -- what are we really giving up? Nothing.

Those serving are giving up their lives. Even if they do not pay the ultimate sacrifice, their time away from home is beyond difficult, if not impossible.

We all need to take a closer look at what is being given up by these brave people and those that love them. Unfortunately we will never be able to fully repay them.

Tracy M. Graley
Columbia, SC

I fully agree that our troops and their families are being put second or even third. They don't get the recognition they so deserve. As a Mother of two sons serving in Iraq, I worry every single day about them and those serving with them. I know in my heart they'll be fine and come home safely, but not everyone is so lucky. Their wives and children are having a difficult time dealing with the missing "man", but they do what they have to do each and every day.
This country needs to realize that no death is more important than another, and not acknowledging these troops and honoring them the same way we have the victims at VT is just not right.

They should lower all American flags to half-mast the last day of every month in honor of all the men and women who have lost their lives in Iraq and Afganistan that month.

The President does not want the war dead to be honored or else we show the flag drapped coffins as the they are arriving at Dover, Delaware. The President does not want to draw any attention to the war. Out of sight and out of mind.

As far as I'm concerned the nation's flag should continue to fly half staff until this war is over and the troops are home!

My husband was deployed to Iraq in 2003. At that time, all of America was caught up in the excitement that war news brings.
Now, it is sad to watch the indifference that Americans have toward the war. The war has gone on too long, and it is old news.
My heart is saddened with each soldier's death and even more saddened by the lack of sincere repect that is given to the soldier, and to his family.
The war is not news worthy any longer; racial remarks by Imas or the VT murders are more exciting, are "new" news, and closer to home than the desert of Iraq.
Life goes on for everyone but the soldier that is serving in the Middle East.
Lets bring them all home, where they belong, to their families and homes and home to America.
Lets let the Middle East settle its own problems.

President Bush has decreed that no photographers or other media is permitted in areas where the caskets containing the bodies of US troops killed in Iraq are returning to U.S. soil. Out of sight out of mind. This works for Bush. It was impossible to hide the level of carnage at VT. Show us our dead. It may make a difference.

Michigan lowers the flag every time a Michigan service man/woman dies. This has been going on since almost the very start of the war. How ever, the difference is that the service men and women know the risk when the sign up. Cold blooded murder is not a risk when you sign up for college, at least, it wasn't then.

I appreciate you honoring the students murdered at Virginia Tech and our soldiers murdered in Iraq and Afganistan. They aren't killed, but murdered. Many Americans are unfortunately killed every day. You don't seem to cover all the American Peace Officers (police) murdered across our country unless there is a manhunt or multiple casualty. Even just one peace officer murdered in a 'civilized' society is news also. Thank You!