To the Editor:
A statue of W.E.B. Du Bois is scheduled to be installed on the front lawn of the Mason Library on Main Street, Great Barrington. This is a direct insult to all veterans who served our country and community with honor.
A vote was taken by the library trustees to give approval of a statue. Was any input from the community or notification given to the VFW Posts or the American Legion Post or any outreach to veteran organizations in town? The answer is no.
Du Bois may have been born in Great Barrington. Unlike veterans, we never turned our back on the United States when asked to serve — we did so with honor. This weekend is Memorial Day, a day we honor the veterans that came before us. Parades are held in every corner of our great country. Old veterans dress in uniform not to be seen, but to honor those that are no longer with us. We answered the call to defend our country against communists, not join the Communist Party to support actions against the United States.
The Mason Library’s lawn is not the place to honor a communist. Why was his homestead on Route 23 not considered? Go to the town of Great Barrington’s website, look up the trustees and contact them — it isn’t too late to do the right thing. If needed, we will protest this injustice.
As a Marine Corps veteran, I resent the thought of honoring a communist on town property.
Andy Moro
Housatonic