Love note from Jeff City

Greetings, my fellow Missourians

I thoroughly enjoyed helping commemorate our veterans last weekend. On Saturday, the City of Weaubleau hosted a veterans’ parade and the laying of a wreath at their beautiful Veterans’ Memorial. This memorial is one of the most impressive in Missouri, in my opinion, and located on Hwy. 54 (Discover More on Route 54!). I also attended observances and ceremonies at the Osceola High School, the McCarty Senior Center in Wheatland, and the Wreathing of the Waters in Warsaw. As I observed people in attendance at each of these functions, particularly the young children, it reminds me that we need to be so grateful to our veterans who served to preserve and protect our freedoms for future generations.

I firmly believe that this great nation will continue to be this great nation for our children and grandchildren as long as we have the right to life, liberty and the right to own property; we owe our veterans all of our respect and gratitude for these rights. “We the People” need to do better taking care of our veterans. We need to help them further their education, employ them when they return home, and provide the best of medical and mental care. According to the VA Suicide Prevention Program Facts, there was an average of 20 veterans per day during 2014 who died from suicide in the United States. Think about it: that is 7,300 people…veterans…heroes who put their life on the line for our nation. This is tragic and unacceptable. Our actions must speak louder than our words. We must uphold our obligations to care for and support our veterans.

In recent months, our veterans’ heritage has been under attack with the desecration and vandalism to objects of remembrance: a monument in the Springfield National Cemetery, an Iwo Jima Memorial in Massachusetts, a Frances Scott Key monument in Maryland, just to name a few. I am passionate about history and our heritage and believe all objects of remembrance should be protected. Therefore, I intend to sponsor the Missouri Veterans Heritage Protection Act during the 2018 legislative session.

Giving thanks:

My family and I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving. I look forward to spending time with my children and grandchildren next weekend. My prayer is that everyone has a safe and blessed day with family, rich in thankfulness as well as giving.

Some upcoming activities include:

Nov. 25 – Hermitage Christmas Parade beginning at 5 p.m.

Dec. 2 – “Christmas in the Country” in Appleton City at the Forest Park Building, Train Depot, and Drury Hotel with craft vendors, baked potato luncheon, contests and silent auction.

Dec. 4 – Santa Claus is Coming to the St. Clair County Library in Osceola from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Dec. 5 – Santa Claus is Coming to the St. Clair County Library in Lowry City from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Dec. 8-9 – “Descending the Decades” Christmas on the Harbor in Warsaw with the downtown parade scheduled at 5 p.m. on Saturday.

Dec. 9 – 26th Annual Christmas Parade in Lincoln on Main Street beginning at 11 a.m. Christmas activities will take place at the Lincoln R-2 School. Coffee, hot chocolate and donuts will be served in the Community Building from 10-11 before the parade.