Letter of the Week: Devotion to veterans

Devotion to veterans

Our nation stands divided, not by race, creed or economic status. Often, these groups are indistinguishable.

One group stands alone in that its members grasp for anything for fear of what lies on the other side — the horrors of war, the sights of men ripped apart by evil, that ever-present fear that death lurks just around the corner.

They deserve the joy and peace other families feel when a breadwinner arrives home safely each night, but many servicemen and women will never know that feeling again.

Your government gives money and food to those who are able-bodied but too often ignores the plight of the veteran. So let us not wait until Veterans Day or Memorial Day to honor those who have written a blank check of life to defend our freedoms.

Let us demand change from our government. Let us give back to local charities helping our heroes. Let us now sacrifice for those who have sacrificed for us.

Daniel Barker, 31, of Kansas City, Kan., is a software engineer who was born and raised in Illinois, moved here a year ago and is married. He served in the Air Force from 2001 to 2013, doing tours in Afghanistan and Iraq.

This story was originally published October 19, 2014 at 10:00 AM with the headline "Letter of the Week: Devotion to veterans."