Best wishes on Memorial Day

Frank Gilliam

On Memorial Day, I’m remembering my uncle Frank Gilliam who died at the Battle of the Bulge in World War II.

I’m also remembering my uncles Richard Telecky and Orval Telecky who also served in World War II.

While President Biden will speak today and parades will be held, processing losses is difficult. I still miss my mom and dad, who were so important in my life, although they passed away many years ago.

So fresh also in my mind are the 19 children and two teachers who were killed at the Robb Elementary School in Yuvalde, Texas, on May 24. Firearms are now the leading cause of death for U.S. children.

Also, funerals for the 10 people killed when a gunman opened fire on shoppers and employees at a Tops Friendly Market in Buffalo, New York, on May 14 were held last week.

So much senseless killing. The public policy in the United States armed these killers.

“This isn’t inevitable,” said Senator Chris Murphy, D-Conn., in a speech on the floor of the Senate about the massacre in Yuvalde. “These kids weren’t unlucky. This only happens in this country and nowhere else. It is a choice. It is our choice to let it continue.”

I’m also remembering on Memorial Day, the 1 million people in the U.S. who died of covid-19. So much death. So many senseless deaths.

If the U.S. had used the same requirements for covid prevention that Australia used, 900,000 lives would have been saved, according to an article in The New York Times.