Dear editor:
Friday I had the honor of attending a graduation ceremony at Camp J.T. Robinson. It was the culmination of weeks of boot camp training in the Civilian Student Training Program for 55 teen boys. The young men in the program were there because they were at-risk youths. They were sent for a variety of reasons from minor infractions to major ones.
As I sat there and listened to the speeches and watched these now clean-cut, well-dressed young men move with honor and respect, I was awed. When the color guard presented the flag of our great nation and "The Star-Spangled Banner" played, I was moved to tears. I pray that these youths learned great lessons about education, self-discipline, love of family and love of country from the people who worked with them, from the soldiers who helped train them.
Today, as I drove to do my weekend errands, I passed the wonderful flag erected by Alliance Rubber and I couldn't help but again be moved by their tribute to patriotism. There are those who would condemn the gesture, but there are always those who find fault with even the kindest of deeds. The amazing thing about that flag is that it represents the freedom we have to speak against it. What a great country in which we live. Thank you, Alliance Rubber, and thank you to the probation officers and others involved in the CST Program at Camp Robinson. You fight the good fight!
Leysa Lowery
Hot Springs
Editorial on 10/13/2015