VOICE OF THE LEGISLATIVE MAJORITY

Honoring Those Who Keep Us Free

By Legislator Aron B. Wieder (D- Spring Valley)

Rockland County Legislature

With the 240^th anniversary of our independence and freedom upon us, now is the time to celebrate not only what we have, but who we have to thank for it all. Our County is lined with the graves of the many hundreds who we have to thank for what we have today; from those who gave their lives in the very first war for independence through every major war our nation has fought in to this day.

In an era of great global instability and uncertainty, what is certain is that our commitment to those who fought – and still fight – is as strong as the commitment we maintain to the principles that gave us our freedom and independence 240 years ago. In County government, our incredible Veterans Service Agency supports every need for our returning soldiers that can be met – providing educational benefits, financial assistance, health services, employment opportunities, and more.

As the chair of the Legislature’s Public Safety Committee, I begin each meeting by holding a moment of silence for all those who secured our safety – from police officers to military servicemen and women – who gave their lives to keep us free. Too often, their sacrifices go unnoticed and unreported by the media. We will always notice.

We work to keep the celebrations of our nation alive and well in Rockland County, through the nearly two dozen grants we give each year to veteran’s posts across Rockland County. This important funding by the Legislature is safeguarded for “patriotic observances,” a number of celebrations which each post carries out annually.

In our personal celebrations on Monday, we each ought to take our own moment to reflect and remember the untold tens of thousands of men and women, who over the course of nearly a quarter of a millennium, have kept us free and safe here and throughout the world.