Let me first state, for the purpose of dissuading you from thinking that this article is in any way partisan in its nature, that I belong to neither political party and hold no views that would strongly identify with either side. My purpose for this letter is to do my best to bring some moderation into what appears to be a largely partisan discussion. With that said, I should also mention that I have been deployed and separated from family for the holidays. I certainly do not and cannot speak for all veterans, but I hope that my experience will be of some value in this discussion.

I would like to first address Mr. Walker and his letter before I write about the responses in Thursday’s paper. Mr. Walker suggests to the ISU College Republicans that instead of sending donations of food, hygienic items, et al to soldiers who are already provided for, that they instead should send those items to those in our country who need them more.

While this suggestion might concern some, it would actually be supported by myself and those with a similar experience. While I was deployed, we received packages from our families and friends as well as those who we did not know. All of this was appreciated and the contents of the packages were put in common areas so that those who might need it could take and use what they wanted. By the end of our deployment, we had shelves full of stuff that wasn’t needed by anyone. We gave to the locals what we could, but much of what had been sent to us was of no use to them. In the end, much of what was sent was thrown out at the end of our stay. While all that was sent was appreciated, it was simply more than we could use.

With that said, neither Mr. Walker nor I (to my knowledge) were asked for our opinion. But that isn’t the real mistake Mr. Walker made. He went on to couple his suggestion with a purely partisan attack which did little more than have people like me question his motivation in making his original suggestion. Does he really care about the suggestion he made or was it merely an opportunity to attack a group he disagreed with politically?

What confuses me more are the rush of articles condemning Mr. Walker for his suggestion rather than for using it as a partisan tool. I’m certainly thankful for those who support the troops, especially during a deployment, but some of the responses confuse me.

In Mr. Werner’s letter, he says that he finds it humorous that Mr. Walker is using the right to free speech – a right soldiers fight to protect – to undermine the voluntary material support of soldiers. What I find more striking is that Mr. Werner goes on to suggest that Mr. Walker should, essentially, be punished for using that right. That seems to be the opposite reaction that he claims myself and other soldiers fight for.

All in all you should give to whomever you wish, criticize what you feel is wrong. They’re both your rights, but don’t do it because of political motivations or the chance to earn political bonus points. Do it because you think it’s the right thing to do for your community, state, nation or the common good.

If my opinion is worth anything, here is my suggestion: Take the money you would spend on those packages you want to send to that anonymous soldier and spend it on food and clothing for those less fortunate in our nation. Soldiers fight for our country and we’d love to see our fellow citizens also working to make it a better place, even if that means missing out on a magazine or two.

If you still feel like giving back to soldiers who are serving overseas, here is my other suggestion: Spend that money on some pens, paper, stamps,and a stack of envelopes and write some letters to those serving. The worst part about being deployed isn’t the long hours, the dirt or the danger. The worst part is being so far removed from the world that you feel forgotten. The world moves quickly and a lot of things are missed in a year apart from it. So read about what they’re doing over there and let them know you haven’t forgot them and that even though they’re so disconnected, there are still people willing to take the time to sit down and think about them long enough to write them a letter telling them they remember they’re still there and are still a part of the world.