Memorial Day is a special day to my family for many reasons. I have a sister, brother-in-law, and sister-in-law who are currently serving our country as well as a husband, father, father-in-law and brother who have served in the past in various branches of the military. We also have a close family friend who lost their life in service in Iraq.

We view Memorial Day as a day to think about all these people that we love as well as those we don't know that make sacrifices to protect our freedoms every day. We eagerly arrived at the parade on Monday and carefully explained why we were there and read each sign honoring our local veterans.

Imagine my surprise to find that there were many "Re-elect (fill in the name)" signs and the various candidates riding in the parade passing out election literature. I realize that it is a great opportunity to reach a large part of the community, but I found it in very poor taste. I was especially disappointed to find that several of the candidates were people I had planned on voting for.

I also found the Shriners in very poor taste as well, more like a mini circus come to town instead of a Memorial Day for lost ones. On a safety note, the drivers of the Shriners' cars were driving too fast and reckless for the closeness of the small children sitting on the sidewalk.

I would like to commend the city for putting together the parade and appreciated the opportunity for my children to see the heroes that live among us.

Liev Wheeler
Gainesville