Shame on you DSHS

I recently drove by the Washington state Department of Social and Health Services in Wenatchee and saw the LGBTQ rainbow flag flying under the state and American flags.

Normally I don’t have a problem supporting diversity in all its colors, but the boneheads at DSHS took down the POW/MIA flag in order to replace it with the rainbow flag.

They could and should have flown both if their point was to celebrate Gay Pride Month.

Black Pride, Gay Pride, Latino Pride, I am cool that many folks are proud of their roots just as I am of my Christian, French-Canadian ones.

My only real issue is that removing the POW/MIA flag is an outright insult to all veterans and especially combat veterans. Why wasn’t there some type of outrage over this travesty perpetrated by state employees?

Well there was a little. Several of my veteran friends called DSHS to voice their complaints. They were told that the flagpole was surrounded by recently poured cement and that’s why nothing could be done about the flag issue.

So, let’s add insult to injury by telling a lie to a group of taxpayers from a state agency. Whomever it was that answered that phone at DSHS and gave that lame excuse to a veteran should have merely said, “Sir, by order of Governor Jay Inslee, we fly this flag in lieu of the POW/MIA flag in order to celebrate Gay Pride Month.”

Or, perhaps the janitor accidentally took down the POW flag instead of merely flying both?

Let’s be straight (not a pun), I am not against anyone, but both flags could have coexisted. I was immediately gut-punched when I saw only one banner. That’s how visceral this flag is to many veterans.

The manager of DSHS in Wenatchee needs to visit the American Legion as my guest or (someone’s) to fully understand how veterans feel about this issue.

The least DSHS can do is issue an apology to those who gave their all.

Officially recognized by the United States Congress, the flag serves “as the symbol of our Nation’s concern and commitment to resolving as fully as possible the fates of Americans still prisoner, missing and unaccounted for in Southeast Asia, thus ending the uncertainty for their families and the Nation.” according to the National League of Families website.