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Mar. 10, 2005 My recent article on departing CBS Evening News anchor Dan Rather drew a response from Bill Kibler, one of the webmasters of a site devoted to the Beirut Stamp Initiative. Not only did Bill gently correct me on the actual death toll of the horrible 1983 suicide attack on the Marine compound—241 Marines died that day, many of them from Camp Lejuene here in North Carolina—he also called my attention to a just and noble cause. Long before the site began operations late in 2003, efforts were underway to persuade the US Postal Service to honor over 270 peacekeepers who died between 1982 and 1984 while serving in Lebanon. Over the course of time, supporters of the initiative have been rebuffed by the Postal Service for various reasons, including a supposed lack of historic significance, fears that such a stamp would not do well in terms of sales, and a desire not to highlight a specific tragedy. But the Postal Service has honored tragedy, and a much more recent one than Beirut. On March 11, 2002, in a White House ceremony attended by President Bush and Postmaster General John Potter, the Postal Service unveiled a semipostal stamp to honor the heroes of the devastating terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001. The stamp cost 45 cents at the counter; the money above the first-class postage rate (at that time, 34 cents) went to FEMA as part of fundraising efforts to support families of emergency workers killed or permanently disabled as a result of their work during the crisis. Whether acting as peacekeepers as part of a multi-national force or as combatants in war, our armed forces have made it possible for free forums like Useless Knowledge to exist. Every article that we write is a testament to their sacrifice, and we should never take that freedom for granted. It is a shame that the Postal Service has chosen not to honor those brave peacekeepers by issuing a stamp. As an American citizen, as the son of a military veteran, and as a man who has spent a lot of time dealing with mail in a professional capacity, I encourage everyone to give their support to this initiative. The men and women who fight for us deserve to have us fight for them. Information on the Beirut Stamp Initiative can be found at: http://www.beirutstamp.com. ------------ About the author: Claxton Graham has written a number of articles for Useless Knowledge. He works as a business systems analyst. Email: scifiwriter8502@email.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
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