Tie A Yellow Ribbon Around Something!

by Dessa Rodeffer
Quill Editor/Publisher

14 April 1999

I received the following letter to the editor and I think it is a great idea for us to get started backing our boys who are serving in this Yugoslavia crisis, especially the three who are hostages. The letter says:

"Dear Editor,

I think it would be a great idea if we would encourage everyone to "Tie a yellow Ribbon" somewhere in honor of the three young Americans who are being held captive in Yugoslavia.

It can be on a tree, a fence, a mail box, or put it on your door.

It's really a small thing to show support for those who put their lives on the line for us and our freedom!

God Bless America!"

Dorothy Martin
Stronghurst, IL

We take so much for granted these days that I fear we are to have a rude awakening in the year 2000 if we do not become more involved.

The low voter turnout concerns me. The lack of concern for our neighbors overseas concerns me, and with the world becoming more and more dependent on each other, I think anything that concerns our brothers and is ignored will come back to haunt us.

We need to be aware of what our government is doing, too. There are many concerns about the United States and NATO's strategy in Yugoslavia. There is controversy in whether we should send in ground troops, and many are asking, is this another Viet Nam?

Secretary of State Madaline Albright was featured on Biography Saturday evening. She is a strong women who has personal background as a refugee herself. Her father was a dignitary in Yugoslavia but was forced to leave when Hitler forced their Jewish family and many others out of the country. They escaped only because her father acquired the necessary papers to help them leave the country.

As a young child, she watched her mother work in the underground bomb shelters in Great Britian.

In Britian, their Jewish family joined the Roman Catholic Church.

After the war had ended, their family returned safely to the political life in Yugoslavia. Later they again were pushed out of their homes by the communists. This time they escaped to the United States where they remained.

I'm sure Madeline Albright, or anyone else who escaped the horror of a refugee camp, does not take freedom for granted.

We feel helpless when we see the front pages of our newspapers, and the real life television accounts, but we can begin by showing our support to the three young men who have been captured. They represent all our sons of this United States. Let's fly a yellow ribbon.

Let's replace our tattered United States flags and fly them with respect, and let's keep in touch with the news of this attack so we can gather informed opinions. Yes, God do bless America.