Dear Editor:
I look into a mother’s eyes and all I see is gold yet this organization may now appear as coal.Ligaya Lagman’s 27 year old son, Army Staff Sgt. Anthony Lagman was killed in the line of duty on a battlefield in Afghanistan for America. For the freedom of every man and woman, their children and children’s children. As far as I’m concerned, that courageous soldier’s mother is American! However, the Filipino born Ligaya was denied association to the Immaculate-American Gold Star Mothers because she is only an American, taxpaying resident for 20 years and not yet officially a U.S. resident. Do you think that the members of the Taliban and Al Quaeda cared whether or not his mother’s status was that of a “citizen” or not? Or any other officer in his platoon?
National President Ann Herd was quoted, “There’s nothing we can do because that’s what our organization says; you have to be an American citizen…We can’t go changing the rules every time the wind blows.” Well Mrs. Herd, as you should know all to well, ya heard? When an American solder sacrifices his or her future (and that of one’s mother) when he or she dies for our country, beliefs and values, it’s not just the wind blowing. It’s a human being going.
And there’s no organization that can draw up any rules to regulate such action. For this assemblage to not create a referendum reconsidering such outmoded technicality would be flagrant and blatant disregard and absurdity. The very Democracy that Anthony was standing up for was founded upon justice and amendment. He left this life with reverence, and there’s no better way to honor him than to Respect his Mother.
It is our leaders job to do this and carry out their duty as civil servants because membership or no membership, Ligaya Lagman is an American Gold Star Mother! James Francis Waddleton