The Wahkiakum County Eagle - Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891

Editor's note: The original version of this letter was missing one sentence; this is the correct version. We apologize to the writer, Peter McGuire.

To The Eagle:

Fifty years ago I had the honor of serving in the United States Marine Corps. Six or seven times during my time at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, I was assigned to funeral details. This involved riding on a bus to a country churchyard and firing a 21-gun salute at the burial of a fallen Marine. These Marines all had two things in common: They were all black, and I don't think any of them had reached their 21st birthday. These black Marines lost their lives serving their country in an era, the 1960’s, when the black community was fighting for basic civil rights. As I have gone through life I realized these young men are the real American patriots in my life.

We have our pseudo patriots. They can be recognized at our public meetings and in letters to the editor. They frantically argue against any kind of change and heap insults on any who don’t agree with their view of the world.

We have our county commissioners who usually express their personal opinions without remembering that they have constituents they should be representing.

Jim Crow is a disgraceful period in American history. It was a systematic attempt by white Americans to deny black Americans their civil rights and basic human dignity.

I believe Jim Crow should be changed to Jim Saules on our local landmarks. I think we should do this as residents of Wahkiakum County, not because someone in Olympia wants us to do it. We should do it to respect our fellow black Americans and because it’s the right thing to do.

This change will not ruin anyone’s memory of growing up in Wahkiakum County or disrespect their ancestors’ efforts to raise their families in the wilderness.

It is just correcting an old typo.

Please contact your county commissioner and express your opinion.

Peter McGuire

Rosburg