Editorial for July 10, 2008 edition:

They deserve it

America owes her life and ultimately her sheer survival to her war veterans. For the soldiers who are trying to find their way back into society after returning from active duty, the Philadelphia Veterans Multi-Service and Education Center is a godsend.
From trying to ease soldiers’ transition from combat fighter to civilian life, to finding food and shelter for them, the center is doing a remarkable job.
No doubt, many of the 5,000 people helped by the Old City facility last year were Northeast residents, so why can’t there be a similar outreach center in Northeast Philadelphia?
To be sure, the Delaware Valley Veterans Home near Southampton and the Boulevard in the Far Northeast is a fine institution, but it’s just that, a veterans home. Northeast Philly is home base for many veterans — World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf war, the endless war in Iraq, etc. — who surely would appreciate a facility similar to the multi-service center without having to schlep downtown. How about the Northeast Philadelphia Veterans Multi-Service and Education Center? Our heroes are worth it.

• • •

Northeast Philly residents might not want to admit it, but many were probably saddened to hear that Jesse Helms, the former U.S. senator from North Carolina, died on the Fourth of July.
The archconservative senator was long branded a racist by many liberals because he dared to oppose efforts to make Martin Luther King Day a federal holiday, but the truth is, Mr. Helms was no racist. He helped the people of the Tar Heel State regardless of race. He also spoke and voted his heart. If only more politicians would do that, what a wonderful country this might be. ••

Respond to this editorial . . .

Click here for Letters to the Editor . . .