
Loading your audio article
Our flag represents the sacrifices of so many
Bronx: More than a flag that down through the age / Tells a great and noble story / Of learned men, and the birth of a nation / And of their passion, courage and glory. / More than a flag, stained with the blood / On battlefields where patriots fell / Brave souls all, yearning to be free / And would defend her to the gates of hell. / More than a flag, a testament to truth / And of brave patriots on a noble quest / To fight for the right to live in freedom / In a new land the Lord has blessed.
More than a flag, a symbol of freedom / Stars and stripes, red white and blue / See it wave in the wind, above all the fray / In a land where hopes and dreams come true. / More than a flag, instilled with the spirit / That prevailed on land and sea / And sacrificed all, fought and died / In the struggle to be free.
More than a flag, stood tall and unyielding / Flew proud against the enemies of state / And defeated the legions of a mighty king / And ended the reign of oppression and hate. / More than a flag, from the very beginning / And even today, she still flies high / The soldier knows what she stands for / And is ready to fight, even die.
Fools will burn her, tarnish and spurn her / They might treat her like a faded old rag / But none can diminish, imprison or finish her / For she is worthy, and more than a flag. Bob Pascarella
A day to reflect
Cibolo, Texas: We have only to glance at our televisions, news feeds or our own communities to see the effects of war and conflict. Refugees, veterans and displaced families are as common as sparrows in a field. It’s easy to forget that the reason we are here today, enjoying a peace so often taken for granted, is due in no small part to the sacrifices made by those who have gone before us. In a world that seems perpetually on the brink of something, be it war or political unrest, the simple act of remembering might be the best we can do to honor those who gave everything. VE Day, with its jubilation, and Memorial Day, with its solemnity, serve as the bookends of sacrifice and victory. They are reminders that peace is not merely the absence of war but the result of relentless effort, sacrifice and a willingness to remember. John Di Genio
Remember the relatives
Briarwood: Memorial Day not only should be about those who have died in service to their country, but it should also be about those of us left behind — Gold Star family members. For me, it has been 55 years since my 19-year-old brother was killed in Vietnam. I can’t help but wonder what would have been, and I hate that I was robbed of my older brother the same way all Gold Star family members have been robbed. Each year is different, some years easier than others, but all years are painful and difficult. This Memorial Day, reach out to any Gold Star families you know. Give them support. It is a tough period for them. And do not forget the Blue Star families (relatives of those in active service of our country). Unfortunately, some Blue Star families will become Gold Star families. Remember them all this Memorial Day. Mary Elizabeth Ellis
Through his wise lens
Hallandale Beach, Fla.: Deeply saddened to learn of Sebastião Salgado’s passing. He was one of the greatest photographers of our time, and his profound commitment to Indigenous peoples touched the world. A true inspiration. Rest in peace, Sebastião Salgado. Paul Bacon
Failed representation
Jamaica: Every New York congressperson who voted for President Trump’s big budget bill needs to be voted out, especially Reps. Mike Lawler and Elise Stefanik. They are not helping their constituents. Instead, they are hurting them. Truly sad! Go vote when the time comes around, don’t just sit on that couch or stay home. Think of your families’ livelihoods. You see what happens when you don’t. Chaos happens! Charlene Black
Perfect description
Manhattan: I disagree with Voicer Cindy O’Connor. The Yiddish word you are concerned about means the male sex organ. If anyone deserves that title, it is our current president, who has been accused of raping and molesting women. If anything, Cindy should be angry at the president for his behavior. Scott Stringer is not fighting dirty in calling a spade a spade. Marcia Goldstein
Total turncoats
Bronx: S.E. Cupp bemoans the fact that “Trump and the GOP have abandoned conservatism” (column, May 22). How about this: Trump and his GOP have abandoned the Constitution and the country. Sandi Lusk
National shame
Brooklyn: Trump is a cruel person who traffics in lies. And the current members of the Republican Party abet the cruelty, mostly out of cowardice and a lack of their own moral compass. It’s a stain on our country that he was reelected. Herman Kolender
Unpopular opinions
Brooklyn: To Voicer John D. Cilento: I enjoyed reading your letter. I too have been avoiding this page due to the rabid, one-sided viewpoints. Common sense is woefully absent in many. I thought you’d like to know that the remainder of Saturday’s opinion page continued as usual. We can only hope. Susan Caprio
Have some heart
Kearny, N.J.: Voicer Peter Sulzicki gets in a number of digs on who he calls “Crooked” Joe Biden (get it right — it was Crooked Hillary and Sleepy Joe, or can you not keep up with all of Trump’s juvenile name-calling?) and concludes by saying that Biden didn’t care if Sulzicki had prostate cancer, so why should he care if Biden does. As a cancer survivor myself, I have empathy for anyone touched by this deadliest of diseases and wouldn’t wish it on anyone — not even Trump, Elon Musk, Vladimir Putin or Benjamin Netanyahu. Empathy is a natural outgrowth of life’s challenges. Not so much for the embittered, hateful and damaged. Moreover, Biden’s Cancer Moonshot program funded initiatives towards prevention, treatment and survival, so he really does care that Sulzicki developed cancer. I’ve been no fan of Biden, who lost his son Beau to cancer, but give him his due. John Woodmaska
Put it on the line
Forest Hills: Memo to the GOP: Since most of you only spend so much time in D.C., which is your primary work residence, your insurance and health care benefits end the moment you leave office. Put some skin in the game like the people you are making suffer with no cost-benefit in mind. For example, early treatment is cheaper. Stop pretending that it’s about money. It’s about making poor, non-white people suffer. Maybe this will make your constituents wake up. You lose, your benefits go. Half a year is not work. Stew Frimer
Hypocritical oafs
Manhattan: It appears that the GOP has a selective memory. As I recall, when First Lady Michelle Obama made the health, diet and fitness of America’s children her focus, she was called out and vilified for interfering with parental rights and choices. Now that renowned conspiracy theorist RFK Jr. is the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, he has taken up the cause. The blatant hypocrisy of the Republican Party is on full display here. It would make sense that Republicans and Democrats would be united in fostering the health and welfare of our children. Michelle Obama deserves an apology, and the Republican Party needs a wake-up call and a slap on the wrist. “Make America healthy again” is not just a Republican goal, as the Trump administration would have the public believe. Phoebe Celentano
Wrongful death
Jamaica: Ashli Babbitt made a terrible mistake participating in the Jan. 6 riot, but she was unarmed and was not attacking anyone. The family’s lawsuit maintains that the police officer was not in uniform, did not identify himself as a police officer and issued no warning before shooting. If these are the facts, then Babbitt was murdered. Ebere Osu
Wrong river
Little Neck: To Voicer Jim Miller: It is the East River that flows under the Brooklyn Bridge, not the Hudson. John P. Quinn