LETTERS: FLAG IS POWERFUL SYMBOL

To the editor:

After reading what Marc Powers had to say about tradition, I want it to be known just what that tradition implies. The national anthem is a song about our flag, and that flag has a powerful meaning and symbolism. It is a symbol of the hundreds of soldiers and sailors who lie beneath Pearl Harbor, Leyte Gulf and Midway. It is a symbol of that black granite wall which is so sacred, and the cemetery where many a soldier lie at peace. It is a symbol of my mother and father and grandmother and grandfather, a symbol of our beautiful land and how we acquired it. Abdul-Rauf may be a Muslim, but he sure likes living in America. Mr. Powers, maybe you should remove your hat. I think you like living here too.

DAVID HAMPTON

Sikeston