Letters to the editor.

      On June 2, I sent this letter to the editor of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. To date it has not been published.



From 1959-1962 I served as an enlisted person in the United States Marine Corps. As I’ve considered the role of police unions in our current unrest I’ve tried to imagine my Marine experience, had the Corps been unionized.  “Hold on a minute Drill Instructor, the union says you’ve violated my rights when you called me a ‘Petrified Piece of Buzzard Puke.’” Vaunted Marine discipline would never happen with split authority. Likewise, there will never been police reform as long as the union calls the shots. Absent union abuse, Mr. Floyd would likely still be alive and an officer would not be charged with murder.

    Today I decided to write to the editor again. This is what I wrote.

As a former enlisted Marine, serving from 1959-1962, I’m gratified to see the Marine Commandant’s order to remove the Confederate Flag and paraphernalia from Marine installations. As he said, it certainly is a racist symbol. It is also the flag of treason. Perpetrators of the ‘lost cause’ of the southern states maintain the War Between the states was fought nobly by the south. In fact it was a treasonous war to protect slavery. Thus, the Confederate Flag is both a symbol of racism and treason. For both reasons it has no rightful place in any American military establishment.

    Perhaps it may not be published either. Display of the Confederate Flag seems so inappropriate.  The Confederate States went to war with the United States over the issue of slavery. That is treason on behalf of racism. Neither make that flag a proud banner.

    It was 88 degrees when I attacked a battalion of cedar trees in a ditch. The temperature was no issue but the 22 mph. south wind beat me up. The second day of such wind must mean there is a very deep low pressure to the north.

Takk for alt,

Al

PS After my excursion yesterday I consulted my grandfather's autobiography.  My aunt, Marie Cecelia, taught vacation Bible School at Ellsborough Lutheran Church and that is how she met her husband.