Along the Preston-Fall City Road for a number of years, some thoughtful soul has been decorating a rock retaining wall with themes of the season, patriotic bunting and for the last while, a banner that said, generally, “Thanks for Serving.”

Business ads and political acrimony have been thankfully kept from this positive addition to our community – until recently that is – when increasingly strident protesters began their attack here in our home town.

In our day, when controversy causes some to question our nation’s direction in the prosecution of our war with terrorism, its opponents have been vocally hypersensitive about being labeled unpatriotic. Well, one of these “patriotic” individuals tore down this home brew monument last week and trampled our nation’s flags and the thank you into a muddy ditch.

If you thought the shameful treatment of our soldiers by anti-war protesters in the days of Vietnam was a thing of the past, think again. The stench of that foul treatment is beginning again. The shameful banners and the burning of a U.S. soldier in effigy in Portland recently was shocking, but know this: it starts by tolerating a seditious act and overlooking it in the name of tolerance, rather than vigorously condemning it and calling it what it is – anti-American and clear aid and comfort to the enemy.

I did what I could to restore the presentation and I invite everyone in the community to improve and to guard this positive affirmation of our great nation and those who sacrifice and, in some cases, risk their lives in others’ behalf, be it soldiers, our local police and firefighters or the virtual army of volunteers across our land.

Steve Marquis

Fall City