ASK JACKSON

With Memorial Day coming up May 26, the Southeast Missourian asked people what they thought about patriotism in America.

Cindy Poston: "My father is a veteran, and I think he and my mother are very patriotic. However, I feel overall in the younger generations, they are patriotic for holidays, but not necessarily on an average, everyday basis."

Joe Crain: "Patriotism should be the backbone of this country. I would like to see a stronger patriotic view among its citizens. We need to honor the losses of our soldiers in the past and use it as a basis for going into the 21st century."

Barb Chenoweth: "I think most Americans are proud of the United States. When you look at other countries, I think we are very lucky to live here. We can worship God freely, our schools are open and we have a lot of freedoms."

Mary Hitt: "I think we owe everything to this country that has provided so much for us. I think a lot of us take it for granted, especially in peace time and when we don't have a shortage of what we want. I have a great respect for the veterans."

Jason Barber: "I feel that if it was not for our veterans, we would not have the freedom to do the things we can do. I feel a lot of times they are looked down upon and are not as highly regarded as they should be. We need to have patriotism."