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Respect for veterans A community thing

Cleveland Daily Banner - 11/19/2017

In a day when some choose to dishonor their nation's flag - and ipso facto America's veterans who have died to protect it - in order to express one or more political views, it is refreshing to see a community that refuses to hop aboard such a bandwagon.

While such protests are constitutionally protected by our American way of life, these freedoms often walk a thin line between exercising our rights and demonstrating blatant disrespect for others.

Yes, anyone has the right to take a knee during the playing of the national anthem. It is an act of personal freedom. But sometimes we fear those who join the crowd - especially those who join it late - fail to understand the message.

When a handful of college cheerleaders kneel during the anthem, are they doing it to express a deep personal conviction or is it merely a cool thing to do because they see NFL athletes do it every Sunday?

Only they can answer the question.

Likewise, do they kneel in protest of racial bigotry? Do they kneel in opposition to social inequality? Do they kneel as a message against the growing divide between those who have and those who have not? Do they kneel in warning of a nation moving in wrong directions? Do they kneel to antagonize their president?

All are legitimate questions. Unfortunately, these days the questions outweigh the answers.

The same rights are afforded to those within our own community. Yet, in our Cleveland and Bradley County hometown we choose to channel our energy in more respectful directions.

Like others, we recognize change is needed in America. But we also recognize - like others - America is not a perfect country. She has her problems. She will face them, though the end result could be painful before resolution is found.

In the meantime, by working together, we will approach change through respectful means. And in so doing, we will honor the good in our past, present and future.

Our veterans are part of that good.

Over the past two weeks, our Cleveland and Bradley County hometown has again distinguished itself as a supporter of our veterans through an array of diverse activities.

The traditional Veterans Day ceremony held in downtown Cleveland'sFirst Street Square was only part of an observance that stretched for many days.

Included were inspiring messages and colorful pageantry taking place in our schools, moments of appreciation in many of our major manufacturers, guest appearances at civic club luncheons and a variety of human-interest presentations. Our newspaper provided coverage of as many as possible, and we were continuing to publish inspiring stories through late last week.

The way we have begun to describe it in conversation is this, "For our newspaper, Veterans Day has become a 'great' problem to have. Over the past few years, the events have far outnumbered our writing staff, but what we have presented to our readers is a detailed glimpse of what happens in a community that still places high value on its veterans."

Such coverage is a commitment we made years ago. It is a commitment we intend to keep for well into the future.

As long as manufacturers like Wacker, Whirlpool and Lonza invite us to attend celebrations of their employee veterans, we will be there.

As long as schools like Walker Valley, E.L. Ross, Cleveland Middle School, Park View and Charleston, among many others, alert us to observances within their campuses, we will be there.

As long as families like Bob and Joni Tarver, and Robert and Paul Goins, welcome us into their private lives to tell inspiring stories of their veterans, we will gladly respond.

And speaking of the latter, "inspiring" is the best word we can find to describe how the Tarver couple reconnected with a student who became his pen pal 26 years ago while he served in the Mideast.

And the Goins brothers? Most know the story of Robert and Paul, the aging brothers who volunteer their time and energy toward the upkeep of the veterans section of Fort Hill Cemetery.

They do it without pay. They do it without expectation. They do it without undue time in the spotlight.

And this year, like so many other Cleveland and Bradley County families, they wanted to find a way to honor their father: Paul Goins Sr., a veteran of World War II. The elder Goins is buried at Fort Hill, which is another reason his sons provide the cemetery's upkeep.

In a simple, unassuming gesture, they asked if their father's World War II medals could be pictured.

"They're not fancy medals," Robert told us. "They just tell the story of one soldier, one good man who served in the big war. He was our dad. And we're as proud of him today as ever."

That photograph is included on this page. Robert is pictured with his dad's few medals in the foreground.

It's a simple message, but one that comes with deep meaning.

We salute Pfc. Paul Lee Goins PFC who served in the United States Army - just as we salute every veteran who has a family connection to Cleveland and Bradley County.

In name, Veterans Day 2017 has come and gone.

But at this newspaper, we agree with the sentiment expressed by Many-Bears Grinder, commissioner of Tennessee Veterans Services, who once told one of our editors, "To me, every day is Veterans Day."

That's exactly how it should be.

That's exactly how it is in Cleveland and Bradley County.