Leaders should review priorities

To the editor:
I have never written a letter like this before, but feel that I need to.
My family and I moved here 29 years ago. We relocated here because of a new job. We were accepted by everyone, and we found this to be an ideal community to raise our two girls.
We found the new job to be great, everyone friendly and loved the small town atmosphere. We were impressed with the school system, and feel that even today, 29 years later, that our girls received a great foundation for their life after high school. And after being here a few years we discovered a wonderful church to be a part of, and today have added to our long list of friends and an improved closeness to our creator through it.
We’re proud to call Portland our home. Recently though we learned a couple things that have us concerned.
In recent years national politics have created a lot of negative changes to our country, and I was hoping that we wouldn’t start to see those changes in our home town.
For example, I’ve learned that in our high school that the Pledge of Allegiance is recognized, but few to none of our students actually say the Pledge, including the teachers. I hear that our students stand there, looking at their smart phones and totally disregarding one of the most sacred things that we hold onto in our country, our flag.
One of the things that disturbs me the most is that the teacher, the leader of the class, isn’t saying it, and not insisting that it’s done by everyone in the class. After learning of this my own granddaughter acknowledged that this is happening.
Where is our education system headed if we don’t do one of the most basic patriotic things in honor of our country, in honor of those that died for our freedoms, for those that have lost limbs for us, and have disabilities from wars that will affect them the rest of their lives? Will we eventually not even recognize our flag in our schools? Prayer has been taken out, is this next?
I’ve heard the argument that people should be able to do what they want, make their own decision about our flag. As someone that has worn the uniform for our country, it is a no brainer to me — everyone that enjoys the freedoms that they have should always respect our flag and our country. If someone can’t do that maybe it’s time for them to move to another country and see what liberties they have there.
Next, my second concern is that I recently learned that someone in our town instructed a business not to post the words “Merry Christmas”, but they can say “Happy Holidays” and if the business owner doesn’t do that they will be fined. Wow. This is so ridiculous.
For one, if I was a business owner I certainly would have challenged that and done it anyway.
I’m getting tired of hearing the words — we must be politically correct. When community leaders want to make a change, those words are used, an excuse to administer their agenda.
I might be wrong, but I think most people in our town have celebrated Christmas all their lives, not Happy Holidays.
I’ve been on this earth 68 years and just can’t understand where our country, and even our wonderful small town is headed if we too begin bowing to politicians, being dishonorable to our flag and trying to remove the world Christmas from our vocabulary.
I ask that everyone, and especially those in leadership positions please review your agenda.
Let’s not lose our pride in our country, and the season that brings our families and community together in a very special way.
Cline Bryan
Portland