Being daddy’s little rebel since the day I was born, growing up in the Army and taught to be fair-minded and independent, I plead my case to you, the people of Lawrence County.

Our veterans’ cemetery, Woodland Cemetery, has been taken over by a person or persons who may not be of armed forces upbringing and it seems that respect for the veterans of our area has been forgotten.

These veterans are not afforded the expressions of love that abound in the rest of the cemetery. Only two days are allowed for each holiday to place flowers or flags on their headstones.

Why only for the veterans does this rule apply? Veterans’ families wish to place their expressions of love for their loved one on a headstone just the same as anyone else is allowed to do.

For what did these brave and valiant veterans die for if not freedom and love of country? I would really like to know why veterans cannot be honored in the same way!

These people and their families have given so much, don’t they have equal rights even in death?

How do people who live out of town place flowers on a headstone where they can only put it on Sunday and take it off on Monday or chance it being thrown away?

Veterans have paid for the upkeep of their part of the cemetery, yet the cemetery makes the rules. Is the upkeep too costly? Remember, they gave their lives.

How have things gotten so out of hand that our veterans are once again left behind? This is not the way of any armed forced personnel. We leave no one behind.

Deborah J. Stapleton

Coal Grove