Press & Sun Letters: How to honor veterans, citizenship and more on fracking

Honor a veteran by requesting a flag for the funeral

When a veteran dies, a United States flag is provided, at no cost, to drape the casket or accompany the urn. A flag is furnished to honor their memory of military service.

Normally, a flag is given to the next-of-kin as a keepsake after its use during the funeral service. When there is no next-of-kin, VA will furnish a flag to a friend who made a request for it.

A person may apply for a flag by downloading VA Form 27-2008. For more information, call the Veterans Affairs at 1-800-827-1000 or the VA Regional Office at 607-772-9100. A funeral director can also be a very big help.

Joseph T. Sullivan

Binghamton

What does it mean to be a citizen? This reader wants your feedback

What is the role of a citizen of our republic? Is it to support the Constitution, obey our laws, respect the flag? Must a citizen seek to be educated on candidates before voting?

Is a citizen responsible for making a “more perfect union”? Or is that the purview of the office-holders we citizens elect? Would our union be more perfect if citizens would stop bringing guns into public places and using them?

High school students are given awards for good citizenship. Is good citizenship voluntary? Are poor citizens just as free, equal and happy as good ones? How many poor citizens can a republic withstand?

Lots of questions; wish I had better answers. Hope you, my fellow citizens, have some answers. I will watch this space in future issues for your answers. Please write them.

Eileen M. Patch

Endwell

From Texas to the Southern Tier, an old issue emerges in NY

Having been born in north central Texas, where the Blue Northers would blow fumes from the refineries to us, and later locating to northern New Jersey, where a drive along the Turnpike would assault our respiratory functions, made my move to the Finger Lakes idyllic in terms of air, soil and water.

Imagine my consternation at the news that a company based in Texas called "Southern Tier Solutions" has gathered leases to allow drilling to be done in Chemung, Tioga and Broome counties. Just as I told my old classmates from Texas when hydraulic fracturing lifted its scary head throughout Texas and Oklahoma, "This is not your granddad's oil well." Therefore, I wish to sound the alarm.

Fortunately, the League of Women Voters of Tompkins County will be holding a Zoom meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 20 on "CO2 Fracking: Examining the Plan for the Southern Tier." Former Caroline Town Council member Irene Weiser will show slides that detail the process. For more information go to lwvtompkins.org.

Doris Thurber

Ithaca

Write to us

The Press & Sun-Bulletin / pressconnects.com will consider publishing guest columns up to 500 words on local topics and we also accept letters to the editor up to 200 words on various topics. Local topics will be given top consideration. Please send us your submissions to bgm-letters@pressconnects.com or upload them here. Include your name, address, email and phone number. We edit for brevity, accuracy, clarity and grammar. We reject anonymous letters, poetry, internet pass-alongs and form letters. Writers are limited to one letter within 30 days. We cannot acknowledge unpublished letters.

This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: Weekly Press & Sun-Bulletin Letters to the Editor